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The 2016 Building the Territory Conference concluded successfully recently along with the collocated SEAOOC and the Mining the Territory Conferences, forming the 8th Annual NT Resources Week, which took place on 14th and 15th September at the Darwin Convention Centre.
A recent change in government saw us welcome the newly appointed Minister The Hon. Michael Gunner, Chief Minister, Northern Territory Government and the Senator the Hon. Matthew Canavan, Minister for Resources & Northern Australia, Government of Australia.
Andrew Pickering, Chairman, Infrastructure Capital Group provided clear details about the Northern Territory Infrastructure Development Fund and how the government is partnering with the private sector to grow infrastructure investment in the Northern Territory.
We were lucky to welcome the Department Of the Chief Minister Northern Australia Development Office, Northern Territory Government and the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics to provide a look at Northern Australia Development, Infrastructure projects and procurement reforms.
There were many informative presentations outlining various key programs and support such as Government grants and incentives currently available to help businesses take full advantage of assistance and opportunities, as well as associations including the ICN NT and the AIDN assisting businesses to advise industry of their business capabilities for upcoming projects, as well as ensuring suitable SMEs are able to meet requirements.
One of the highlights of the conference was the afternoon focused on Defence, where we heard about the Government’s commitment to the NT as a priority region for defence, the details of the recently released 2016 Defence White Paper and what this means for the Northern Territory. There were many discussions centred on collaboration and innovation and the importance of the relationship between industry and Defence to ensure that local businesses can prepare and benefit from the multi-billion dollars of defence spend forecast in the region over the coming decades. Presentations were made by KPMG, AIDN, Lang O’Rourke, Sitzler, Halikos Constructions and a number of representatives from the Department of Defence including the United States Force Posture initiatives.
We had the opportunity to hear the current economic outlook for the NT housing and development industry from the Housing Industry Association as well as a look at the Northern Territories property outlook from industry experts. We heard details on Darwin’s development towards 2050 including the critical importance of achieving population growth to build our economy by the Urban Development Institute of Australia, NT
The City of Darwin and the City of Palmerston took part in an interactive discussion addressing their masterplan outlook, key projects, future growth plans and initiatives. This session provided participants with an open forum and a good opportunity for detailed discussion.
Major project developers Landbridge Group, Land Development Corporation and Halikos Constructions discussed a number of industrial projects, schools and hospitals, multiple dwelling developments, hotels, apartments and defence projects, highlighting the importance of quality, adaptability and innovation in achieving project success in the Territory.
With development comes the need for increased and more reliable energy, Clarke Energy and Power and Water Corporation outlined some interesting and innovative projects, upgrades and expansions in the region as well as some of the challenges they face in the NT’s tough environment.
Over two packed days of presentations, Building the Territory 2016 focused on the latest opportunities and outlook for the built environment in Darwin and the wider Northern Territory – we heard many perspectives of investment, opportunities and projects.
Government projects, funding and private investment opportunities are driving construction projects in defence, commercial, retail and housing, along with upgrades for roads, infrastructure and community services.
We would like to thank the NT Government for their support, presentations and participation in the discussions. Thank you to the conference speakers and participants for their key contributions and sharing valuable perspectives. Many thanks to our chair people for facilitating proceedings and the conference discussions.
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For the full list of conference papers for the 2016 Building the Territory Conference, please click here.