2026 Critical Minerals and Gold in the Northern Territory Guide released
The 2026 Critical Minerals and Gold in the Northern Territory Guide has been released, with gold included for the first time to drive exploration and investment
Five new commodities - bismuth, iron ore, lead, silver and uranium have been added to the Territory’s critical minerals list, strengthening supply chain security and economic resilience.
Delivered under the $9.5 million per annum Resourcing the Territory program, the guide supports jobs, investment and long‑term economic growth.
The NT Government has released the latest version of the guide, featuring gold for the first time, to support the critical minerals sector and rebuild the Territory’s economy.
Territory’s Mineral Resources
The NT is rich in critical minerals, strategic materials and precious metals that are essential to:
- economic resilience
- emerging technologies
- defence capability
- energy transition.
The latest guide includes 5 new additions to the Territory’s critical minerals list:
- bismuth
- iron ore
- lead
- silver
- uranium.
The guide also includes a comprehensive inventory of the Territory’s gold resources, making this document the first complete inventory of the Territory’s mineral resource base.
Gold production and economic contribution
In the NT, total value production of gold in 2024 to 25 is $1.67 billion, with:
- three gold projects in development
- two operating mines.
Australian gold is set to become the nation’s second‑largest export earner, offering significant economic benefits that will help fund essential services and strengthen the national economy.
Gold has underpinned the Territory’s mining sector for nearly 150 years, and with a strong pipeline of developing projects, that is set to continue.
The Territory also has world‑class operating mines for manganese, bauxite and zinc‑lead, and a long history of uranium mining.
Emerging and future projects
Beyond established commodities, the guide highlights the next generation of critical minerals projects that will diversify global supply chains, including:
- rare earths
- copper
- bismuth
- lithium
- graphite
- magnesium
- tungsten.
NT Geological Survey representatives will be taking part in the Australia Minerals critical minerals delegation at this year’s Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) event on 1 to 4 March in Toronto, sharing the guide with PDAC delegates.
PDAC is the world’s largest mineral exploration and mining convention, bringing together up to 30,000 attendees and hosting more than 1,100 exhibitors and 700 speakers.
The guide showcases the Territory’s diverse minerals sector, and is delivered under the NT Government’s ongoing $9.5 million per annum Resourcing the Territory program, which provides:
- exploration grants and free‑of‑charge
- precompetitive geoscience data to stimulate
- support and de‑risk exploration investment.
More information
To get a copy of the guide, go to the GEMIS website.
For more information, go to the Resourcing the Territory website.
