Investments range from gas to gold mining, from data centres to recruitment hubs.

Their investment is a demonstration of the confidence that business has in the Territory’s economic future.

Tennant Mines has opened the Nobles gold mine near Tennant Creek.

Managing director Peter Main says: “One of Australia’s last great gold rushes was at Tennant Creek. The Tennant Creek mineral field is still one of the highest-grade gold fields in Australia.

“Large-scale mining ceased in the 1990s when the gold price was in the $400s an ounce. The gold price is now more than $5200 an ounce, more than doubling over the past five years alone.

“In late 2021, we saw the potential to restart large-scale, long-term gold and copper mining by consolidating the field for multiple mines across multiple sites with a central processing complex.

“We acquired three of the four highest grade producing historical gold mines and entered an earn-in joint venture with Emmerson Resources to control 80 percent of the field.

“We reached a final investment decision for our stage 1 Nobles gold project in March 2024, completed construction within budget ahead of schedule, and started commercial production in June 2025.

“That is less than five years from idea to reality, years faster than the national average for mining projects.

“Our speed would not have been possible without access to project facilitation support by the Northern Territory Government and officials; established common user infrastructure and services, including airport, highways and rail line; a competitive regulatory environment; and Territory businesses with construction, mining equipment, technology and services capabilities.

“We attracted the investment interest of and became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Pan African Resources PLC group in December 2024 – a mid-tier $1.7-$1.8 billion market cap group trading on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges and in the USA.

“With that international investment backing, we are now accelerating our expansion and growth plans for the Barkly and beyond in the Territory.”

Darwin Convention Centre general manager Peter Savoff says Darwin’s strategic location in Australia’s north creates an “ideal hub” for regional growth and development.

“It is increasingly being recognised as a premier destination for major national and international business events, and with increased investment in the region, we will enjoy even more opportunities for conferences to connect with local expertise,” he says.

“The Territory already has a wealth of local home-grown experts in our region, supported by investment across key sectors, including healthcare, renewable energy, mining and resources, agribusiness and international education.

“The Northern Territory is a destination brimming with potential, offering a powerful combination of strategic advantages, entrepreneurial spirit and unmatched opportunities for growth.”

Humpty Doo Barramundi is a home-grown success story.

The Richards family, fourth-generation Territorians, pioneered aquaculture in Northern Australia and have been raising premium-quality saltwater barramundi at their farm in the Top End since 1993.

From humble beginnings, the company has grown to become the largest Australian-owned and operated fish producer.

Today, Humpty Doo Barramundi supplies fresh, nutritious and sustainably grown barramundi to Australia’s top retailers and restaurants.

It also features on Qantas International Business Class menus, in airport lounges and in the Australian Pavilion at Osaka World Expo in Japan – showcasing the best of the Territory on the global stage.

Over the past six years alone, the business has reinvested more than $180 million into the Northern Territory, continuing its decades-long commitment to regional development and local growth.

“It’s been a long and challenging journey,” says owner and chief executive Dan Richards.

“From the very beginning, we’ve invested in the Territory and its people. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved through this long-term commitment – proving that even in a remote part of the country, economic success and genuine social impact are possible.

“We started small and grew steadily.”

Beyond producing Australia’s most iconic native fish, the company supports youth development and invests in skills training in the remote Aboriginal community of Wadeye.

“We’re proud to help Territorians build meaningful careers in aquaculture and make a real difference to their lives,” Mr Richards said. “It’s the right thing to do — and it’s an investment that pays off for our business in the long run.”

Resources company Santos is investing $6 billion in opening the Barossa gas field for the Darwin LNG plant.

Managing director Kevin Gallagher says: “I think what the NT Government has done is basically put a big sign up saying, ‘Open for business. We’re going to support business; we’re going to support investment. And we want to do something tangible here’.”

He says Beetaloo has the potential to be “transformational”.

“It’s not a one-off project that we do. This is 20, 30,40, 50, years. This is something where you have hundreds of millions of dollars investment every year, big drilling campaigns, year on year, sustaining production growth, production for decades to come, creating high-paid jobs, transforming communities. That’s exciting. I’d like to be part of something like that.”

Mr Gallagher says the Beetaloo onshore gas field could be connected to Darwin LNG, where a second production train could be built.

“Darwin is really critical to Santos. Not only are we wanting to build further LNG facilities in Darwin, we want to build a domestic market in Darwin. We see it as a hub that has everything you need to facilitate industrial development.”

Telstra is also investing heavily in the Territory.

Kathryn Jones, Telstra InfraCo’s Executive for National Infrastructure Projects, says: “Unlocking the benefits of new and advanced technologies like AI, the IoT and big data analysis for innovation, productivity and growth requires secure, resilient and reliable connectivity. Telstra is building the Intercity Fibre Network to meet this need now and in the future.

“Darwin’s unique geographic location, existing and planned subsea cable infrastructure perfectly places the territory as a strategic launch pad for Australia’s connectivity to the global stage.

“In 2024, Telstra announced its commitment to building the Darwin to Adelaide path of the Intercity Fibre Network.

“Built by Telstra InfraCo, the Intercity Fibre Network will be a new digital backbone for Australia, by providing more secure, higher-performance infrastructure for enterprises, hyperscalers, government, telco carriers and other retail service providers.

“The Intercity Fibre Network is designed to deliver high capacity, ultra-low loss connectivity between capital cities and regional centres. It features dual-cable architecture: an express, long-distance path between capital cities, and a foundation path, creating an opportunity to provide access to regional and remote areas via on and off ramp infrastructure along the network.

“With 60 to 80 Tbps of capacity per fibre pair, the network is engineered to support the massive data throughput required by AI workloads, hyperscale cloud services, and edge computing. “Long-term digital infrastructure investments will be critical for Australia to remain competitive in the future.

The first of Telstra’s Intercity Fibre Network routes, the Sydney–Canberra route, will open to business on 25 June and the Canberra–Melbourne route is on track for early FY26.

“Our network infrastructure plans are ambitious and bold. Telstra is making a significant investment into our nation’s growth, connectivity, and digital prosperity. We look forward to working with the Northern Territory Government and industry groups to chart a course that ensures Darwin’s status as a pivotal node in Australia’s digital journey for the next two decades and beyond.

“When complete, Telstra’s Intercity Fibre Network will be the largest terrestrial intercity network in Australia, and is a critical piece of Telstra’s $1.6 billion strategic investment to meet connectivity demand for the next generation.”

The heavy investment demonstrates that the Territory is open to business – a dynamic region, rich with potential and supporting a culture of innovation.

Companies such as Tennant Mines, Santos, Humpty Doo Barra and Telstra recognise the potential and are driving the economy forward by showing their faith in the Territory.