Diversifying Cores but Stagnant Peripheries: Mining and Other Industry Employment Contributions to Development in Local Government Areas of the Northern Territory

Diversifying Cores but Stagnant Peripheries: Mining and Other Industry Employment Contributions to Development in Local Government Areas of the Northern Territory

Blackwell B, McFarlane J, Fischer A, and B​ Dollery (2017) Diversifying Cores but Stagnant Peripheries: Mining and Other Industry Employment Contributions to Development in Local Government Areas of the Northern Territory, Economic Papers. 

Early View: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1759-3441.12182/full

The economic structure of local government areas (LGAs) of the Northern Territory (NT) are mapped and analysed using economic base theory. Using a three-stage geospatial visualisation we find that: (i) Mining and agriculture are predominantly providing job concentration in a handful of remote LGAs. (ii) Employment growth is derived from public services, with private sector industries contributing almost equally in most LGAs. (iii) NT LGAs exhibit core-periphery characteristics including vulnerable peripheries, often alongside mature mining operations. (iv) However, mature mining is also found alongside diversified sub-cores, providing a model for more vulnerable LGAs.