A message from the Minister

It gives me great pleasure to invite you to Darwin to the 4th Annual Mining the Territory Conference. The Event will be held from 22-24 September 2010 at the Darwin Conference and Exhibition Centre, and will be co-located with the highly regarded “South East Asia Australia Offshore Conference” (SEAAOC) to form the 2nd Annual NT Resources Week.

The inaugural event attracted over 600 delegates and allowed industry leaders from across the two sectors to meet and share common objectives. The larger trade exhibition and access to both events create greater opportunities to gain an up-to-date understanding of our mining and energy industries.

The Northern Territory is one of the most exciting new resource development areas and export economies in Australia, thanks largely to its mining success. In recognition of the importance of the exploration and mining industry, the Northern Territory Government has invested $14.4 million over four years in the “Bringing Forward Discovery” initiative. This is designed to attract new exploration and bring forward the next generation of resource discoveries in the Territory. It includes a $2.4 million Geophysics and Drilling Collaborations program over three years, to co-fund selected drilling and geophysical acquisition projects in greenfield areas, and where there is a paucity of geological information.

Mining the Territory represents an excellent opportunity for key industry players in the region to promote their contribution to the industry, and to discuss and debate the challenges faced by the mining sector in a rapidly changing world.

NT Resources Week will encompass a larger trade exhibition for delegates, a single conference pass will allow delegates to attend either conference and optimise value for money. There will be a greater range of networking and social events designed to make NT Resources Week not just a conference, but an all encompassing resource industry experience.

So, come to Darwin this September and take advantage of this Top End business opportunity and be a part of NT Resources Week.

Yours sincerely Kon Vatskalis Minister for Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources, Northern Territory Government