See You in The NT
As Lidiar Group’s presence grows in the Northern Territory with a new office in Darwin and a dedicated team of professionals on hand to support our clients’ projects, we caught up with Darren Cave following a recent trip to Darwin to hear his thoughts on the exciting times ahead in Australia’s North.
“The Territory has always been an interesting place,” says Darren. “I think if you ask many Australians who haven’t made the trip north, The NT and Darwin are not really well understood; it’s perceived as a little bit more rough and ready than the rest of the country. It has a small population as a territory, it is vast in terms of distances between communities, and the climate is unique, as anyone who has experienced the ‘build up’ will tell you, but if you spend time there it’s hard not to see the region’s charms and to be optimistic for its future. The common theme that you hear when talking to Territorians is freedom.”
The NT Government’s NT Infrastructure Plan and Pipeline 2022 outlines the Territory’s vision for the investment and key projects required to create sustainable industries, a diverse economy, and the social, commercial and civil infrastructure required to support the expected population growth to 300,000 Territorians by 2030.
To achieve this goal, the Northern Territory Government has instructed the investment, major projects and infrastructure commissioners to take us in new directions, to places we haven’t been before – in maritime industry, critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, data, solar, hydrogen and carbon capture and storage.
“As anyone involved in infrastructure and major project development will tell you, a pipeline of key projects is vital to the success of public investment. For businesses like Lidiar Group, we can invest with confidence in the region, knowing that the government is committed to investing in economically beneficial infrastructure, has a timeline of key activities and a clear roadmap across different sectors to ensure that, unlike for example, in the Impex years, Darwin and the Territory does not go through a period of boom and bust, instead enjoying long term strategic and planned growth.”
In addition, Darren believes a strong centralised government approach also provides confidence for private sector investment in the territory, “The private sector will also look at the pipeline when determining their future investment plans as they are often reliant upon the port, rail, road and air connections to be successful and open up resource, advanced minerals, renewables project and more. As well as the Government’s investment in sustainable development precincts will create eco-systems designed to support investment, boost local capability and capacity, creating resilience in the local economy that hasn’t perhaps been seen before.”
The Territory’s location also plays a factor in the attractiveness for investment as its proximity to our neighbours means the region plays a highly strategic role in Australia’s future.
“Darwin’s location will play a huge role in its future. This is reflected in the defence sector investment we see to support the increased US presence in the region as well as investments made to support our sovereign capability. As the AUKUS partnership grows, the US is expected to invest $800 million in various projects in northern Australia under the United States Force Posture Initiative. This is in addition to the $495 million Larrakeyah Defence Precinct redevelopment, announced in 2018 by the Federal Government.”
With strong public, private and defence investment, the Territory is primed for long-term, sustainable growth, as experienced by our team in the level of interest for Lidiar Group’s services.
“The Territory has always been a little bit different to the rest of Australia. This is evident from its iconic C U in the NT unofficial tourism slogan (which I believe does more harm than good) to the more unusual headlines that grace the front pages of the local newspaper.”
“Take a trip to Darwin today, and you will see new restaurants and bars that wouldn’t look out of place in any capital city, high-quality residential developments exploiting prime positions, and a transformation of the waterfront to create an exceptional dining, entertainment and recreation facility. And all that is being done without destroying what makes Darwin and the Territory unique.”
“As we continue to grow, we will be investing in people, facilities and resources to support the Territory’s long-term growth, and that’s why Lidiar Group will see you in the NT,” said Darren.