**Check against delivery
Ladies and gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to be back in Darwin today.
Darwin is fast becoming a centre for new Australian export opportunities, jobs and prosperity.
To our trading partners, Darwin is increasingly seen as a major industrial centre in the Asia Pacific region.
Only three weeks ago, I was here with the Chief Minister to open the southern hemisphere's first helium plant.
The BOC plant at Wickham Point is another step in developing Darwin as an international gas hub.
The project we launch today is no less important, and I thank the President of INPEX for the commitment of the Ichthys joint venture - INPEX and Total's - commitment:
- To the Northern Territory
- To skills and training
- And to Indigenous Territorians
If the development of Ichthys can forge a new, highly-skilled workforce among Indigenous Territorians, that alone will be as valuable to Australia as every dollar earned from exports.
Closing the Gap
The Rudd Government is proud to be leading a new, national effort to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
The gap in health, in housing, in educational opportunity and in employment.
Having a job - meaningful employment - is the key to a successful life.
That is why the Australian Government is committed to helping Indigenous Australians participate fully in education and training, and build the skills for them to enter the workforce whether as engineers, teachers, electricians, welders or mechanics.
We are making progress.
Nationally, we have driven reforms through training and employment programs to improve the employment participation of Indigenous people and help build the skills they need.
My own Department spends $500,000 each year on the Working in Partnerships Program, which allows the mining sector to discuss directly with traditional owners and indigenous communities, how best to address enterprise development and how to maximise indigenous employment.
The Minerals Council of Australia estimates that around two-thirds of Australian mining operations have Indigenous neighbours.
The minerals sector is already the largest private-sector employer of Indigenous people - five per cent of its direct workforce.
The significance of today's event is that we celebrate a multi-million dollar private sector commitment which complements the Government's aim of improving the opportunities enjoyed by Indigenous Australians.
Importance of project to LNG
The growth of the LNG industry here in Darwin, and potentially other gas-based industries, has huge potential for exports and jobs.
For example, the Ichthys project will create more than 2,000 jobs during construction in Darwin and 300 more when fully operational.
It is one of around 80 new projects expected to start in the resources sector in the next five years - all of them seeking capable workers.
One of our biggest challenges will be to build the skilled workforce we need to complete those projects on time and on budget.
We cannot be complacent.
Skills must keep pace with demand.
That's why projects such as the one we launch today are so important.
INPEX and Total have committed to a long-term partnership with Territorians.
This partnership gives Indigenous Territorians a stronger economic future.
The trade centre at East Arm Wharf is the centrepiece of the partnership.
The centre will provide accredited qualifications in electronics, plumbing, refrigeration, metal fabrication and motor mechanics.
It will also provide support in literacy, numeracy, counselling and opportunities for further education.
The centre is open to the Larrakia in Darwin, other Indigenous Territorians and the wider community.
I congratulate the Larrakia Development Corporation and the Ichthys Joint Venture for the leadership and initiative you have shown.
I hope this project can be a model for others to follow.
Skills
The resources boom presents Australia with a serious skills challenge.
There is a great opportunity for Indigenous Australians to be at the centre of this new resources boom - to be the beneficiaries of the jobs and the wealth resources projects bring.
The Government has set up the National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce, chaired by Gary Gray, Parliamentary Secretary for Western and Northern Australia, and reporting to myself and the Minister for Employment Participation, Mark Arbib.
Earlier this month, the Taskforce released a discussion paper as the first step in helping us develop a plan to address labour and skills shortage issues in the resources sector.
For the nation as a whole, better skills mean higher productivity, greater economic growth, and more jobs.
The quality, productivity and international competitiveness of a nation's workforce is one of the most important factors in attracting investment for economic development - that's why Australia has to get this right.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I thank INPEX and Total for their support of this project.
Total's investment in Ichthys represents France's biggest ever investment in Australia.
And of course, for more than 40 years, Japan has been a vital trading partner of Australia.
Ladies and gentlemen, the gas industry will be central to the economy of the Northern Territory for many decades.
So, in thanking President Kuroda of INPEX, I would like to say that you and Total have not only taken a stake in the future of our resources, you have taken a stake in the future of our workforce, and importantly, in closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
And to Greg Constantine, CEO of the Larrakia Development Corp - I wish you every success with the Training Centre as it helps to build the skills for many more Indigenous Territorians to seize the job opportunities of the new resources boom.
Thank you.