Jabiru Economic Scenario Study

Department of the Chief Minister (NT)

Towns like Jabiru in the Northern Territory were established to service mining activity. Once the mining winds up, the underpinning economic function ends. A Commonwealth Government study found hundreds of towns like this have come and gone over the last hundred years or so. The towns could be described as ‘pop-up’ towns.

The problem is, people have made lives in the towns, often unrelated to the mining activity. There is infrastructure and there are connections and commitments to the place. There are also many examples of mining towns transitioning to something new, quite often tourism-led.

This study was about informing the Northern Territory’s and Commonwealth Government’s planning for the transition of Jabiru to a post-mining town. Population and economic forecasts were prepared, as well as floorspace and dwelling demand estimates for different growth scenarios under different levels of tourism and service activity.