It shows Tennant has a robust economy, our businesses are confident about the future and that we, along with the Northern Territory as a whole, have avoided the ravages of the Global Financial Crisis.

The profile is there to give business and government the tools to help make even better decisions about the future of Tennant and the Barkly.

It’s taken months to research and compile and it shows that mining, agriculture, fishing and forestry, government administration and health and community services are Tennant’s five main industries, and that there are than 130 businesses in Tennant, most employing fewer than 19 people.

It gives valuable strength to the Henderson’s Government’s 20 towns strategy, the Working Futures Strategy, the Smarter Territory Strategy and the suite of plans we have to keep moving the Territory and the Barkly ahead so we create jobs for our kids and build even better communities.

It was interesting to note the Profile showed how important it is for governments to step in during times of global economic hardship. The Federal Government’s Stimulus Package has been a vital life raft for us all in troubled waters.

The Henderson Government is also doing its share of the heavy lifting locally with about $420,000 for an upgrade of Main Street upgrade, over $3 million for better hospital and health facilities in the area, and more than a quarter of a million dollars for the Tennant Creek Foundation.

Private industry – and in particular the mining sector – are adding to the impetus.

There’s the secondary processing plant at the Bootu Creek manganese mine, the $17 million Joint Venture between Western Desert Resources and the Japanese Itochu Corporation to explore and develop the Roper Bar Iron Ore Project, Emmerson Resources’ $28 million investment by Ivanhoe Australia into exploration programs around Tennant Creek, more exciting gold and copper explorations around Tennant Creek which are expanding to the East and West of the town and targeting yet to be discovered deposits, the Minemakers Limited Wonarah phosphate project due to begin operating next year and, of course, the progress of the now open-cut development of the McArthur River mine that continues to provide income and employment to the Gulf region and Borroloola in particular.