Australian Bureau of Statistics
Celebrating the International Year of Statistics 2013

	MEDIA RELEASE
October 2, 2008	Embargoed: 11.30 am (AEST)	99/2008

Northern Territorians are becoming environmentally savvy, according to the latest edition of Regional Statistics, Northern Territory released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The publication provides information on an extensive range of subjects on the environment, economy, population and social statistics. Some highlights from the publication are:

• Territorians are using 5% less electricity and 13% less water in 2007 then they did in 2003.
• The value of new residential building completions grew over $100 million between 05/06 and 06/07.
• The mining industry is a major contributor to the NT economy, with a total value of $3,942 million in 2006/07, up from the previous year of $2775 million.
• While coastal regions received higher then average rainfall during the 06/07 wet season, inland regions received lower then average.
• Men were still outnumbering women - for every 100 women there were 108 men.
• The number of people calling the Territory home grew by 2% between 2006 and 2007.
• The Northern Territory recorded the largest percentage increase in the employment rate of anywhere in Australia between 2006 and 2007.
• Between December 2006 and December 2007 the price of a basket of groceries increased by 1% in Alice Springs, 2% in Darwin, 3% in Katherine, and 4% in Nhulunbuy.
• The number of 'offences against the person' recorded by police rose by 21% from 2006 to 2007.
• During December 2007, the average price of unleaded fuel in the NT was 11.43 cents above the combined average of the eight capital cities.

Further details can be found in Regional Statistics, Northern Territory, 2008 (cat. no. 1362.7) available to download free from the ABS website <www.abs.gov.au>