The NT government plans to double the territory's population growth rate to 4,000 people a year. The plan comes as record numbers of people leave to other states and territories. Treasurer Bill Yan has flagged a shift away from fly-in fly-out work as part of the plan.
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00:00For as long as anyone can remember, politicians have tried to grow the Northern Territory's population.
00:07Opposition leader Dennis Burke promised to capitalise on record revenue from the Commonwealth
00:12and ejected into major tax reform and growing the Territory's population by 2.5%.
00:18But the population didn't grow by 2.5%.
00:21In fact, population growth in the NT is the lowest in Australia.
00:25We need these people to come and move to the Territory and live here.
00:29And of course, then that grows our smaller businesses.
00:32The government's latest economic strategy aims to grow the population by 4,000 people a year.
00:38Last month, it signed Dharma 3, an agreement that will see the NT take on up to 1,500 skilled international migrants every year.
00:47But data shows it's not that easy.
00:49While the government hopes international migrants will ease its population problems,
00:53the NT is already benefiting from large numbers of overseas arrivals.
00:58Especially during the construction of the Impex gas plant and since the pandemic.
01:03But despite the overseas arrivals, just as many people are leaving to live interstate.
01:07The Territory's last net increase in interstate migration was nearly 20 years ago, during the controversial federal intervention.
01:15Overall, current population growth is falling well below the goals the CLP has set for the next three years.
01:22Now, fly-in, fly-out workers are in the firing line, as the government pushes for more people to stay here long term.
01:28And the great thing is that most of these companies, these energy companies or resource companies, also agree with the Territory Government.
01:37They don't want to see a fly-in, fly-out workforce either.
01:40While the government has its eyes on FIFO workers, the NT's leading demographers say one potential solution could be so-called soft factors.
01:48That involves embedding people in the community through a mixture of volunteering, participation and the formation of social and cultural networks.
01:57There are a range of other things that government might look at, and indeed some of our research suggests is very important.
02:03Particularly for retention in the Territory.
02:05A growing push for a growing population.
02:07A growing push for a growing population.