Big Rivers

Katherine, Mataranka, Pine Creek

The Big Rivers region covers approximately 25% of the Territory’s total land area.

At the heart of the region is Katherine, the fourth largest town in the Northern Territory, with over 11,000 of the region’s 21,000 residents. Katherine is strategically located at the juncture of the Darwin to Adelaide north-south transcontinental rail route and the Stuart Highway - the Northern Territory’s main arterial highway connecting the regional road network to major trade routes from Australia’s east, south, and west coasts.

The region is also home to 23 Aboriginal communities, 110 family outstations, 105 pastoral properties, and 6 villages.

The geostrategic location of the Big Rivers region positions it as critical to Australia’s northern Defence capability, and the abundance of natural resources, vast land mass, and unique landscapes drive worldclass opportunities in agriculture, energy, resources, and tourism.

Economic opportunities

• Agriculture
• Tourism
• Defence
• Energy
• Mining.