The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) has outlined a $44 billion plan for developing an east-west and north-south infrastructure axis as part of a minerals processing and manufacturing hub, aimed at unlocking hundreds of billions of dollars in mineral, manufacturing, and agricultural wealth.

The MCA’s submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia’s (NT) inquiry into preparing for emerging industries outlined how transport networks could connect state assets to create a backbone for mining, industrial, agricultural, defence and community activity.

“While governments have already invested heavily in infrastructure in the NT, northern Western Australia and Queensland, further strategic investment in infrastructure will enable access to trillions of dollars in mineral resources as well as supporting agriculture, defence manufacturing and communities,” said MCA chief executive officer (CEO) Tania Constable.

“If we neglect the development, growth and success of northern Australia, we will miss out on many opportunities to boost Australia’s economic future, national security and integration into the rapidly growing South-East Asian region.”

The $44 billion plan to “fix missing infrastructure links” features a nation-building transport corridor, which includes the completion and hardening of the Great Northern Highway and the complete sealing of the Tanami Road.

It would also include the integration of north-south rail with an east-west corridor, through a new Halls Creek to Alice Springs or Tennant Creek rail link, along with a new Alice Springs to Mt Isa rail link.

Furthermore, the MCA highlighted an intermodal and industrial facility at Alice Springs supported by integrated logistics and industrial hubs at Katherine and Tennant Creek, and other strategic nodes, alongside rail upgrades between Mt Isa and the Port of Townsville, as part of the submission.

The MCA’s call for increased infrastructure comes after the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) welcomed Neil MacDonald as its new CEO, alongside the Federal Government announcing plans to extend NAIF’s operations by a further 10 years beyond its current investment deadline.

The deadline extension allows NAIF to continue supporting large-scale infrastructure and resources-related developments across the north, such as those proposed by the MCA.

NAIF has key investments and support in several mining projects, including Element 25 Limited’s Butcherbird Manganese Project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region; the Alpha HPA alumina refinery project in Gladstone; and Arafura Rare Earths’ Nolans project.

Constable emphasised the importance of broader infrastructure investment, saying that events such as the partial derailment in South Australia in January, reported by the ABC, which affected all train routes from Sydney to Perth, Melbourne to Perth, and Adelaide to Darwin, or the wet season making roads impassable, make a strong case for the submission.

“Geoscience Australia’s Mineral Potential Models suggest significant critical mineral and strategic material deposits across the north of Australia, including bauxite, manganese, vanadium, copper, gold, lithium and rare earth elements, along with one of the world’s largest potential agricultural expansions,” she said.

“Yet this remarkable region cannot develop its resource potential while it remains constrained by a lack of basic infrastructure for transport, water security, aviation, ports and power.

“Limited freight and logistics connectivity, insufficient energy and communications infrastructure and under-investment in enabling services, compounded by a shortage of skilled local workers, all act to restrict private investment, weaken export competitiveness, and limit mobility.”

The MCA said that with coordinated infrastructure investment, Australia can unlock vast economic value while anchoring its national resilience and deepening its integration with South-East Asia, delivering benefits to regional communities, national defence, global partners and future generations.

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