Economy Minister Nigel Dodds has announced details of a forthcoming conference, which will unveil new information on Northern Ireland’s natural resources.

The Tellus project, a unique initiative conducted from 2004-2007, involved a land-based geochemical survey and a separate airborne geophysical survey of the earth's surface and subsurface throughout Northern Ireland.

The project’s initial findings will be announced at the Tellus conference on 17 and 18 October at W5 in the Odyssey. The audience will have the opportunity to see geological results that are needed to plan and manage the sustainable development and management of our natural resources and environment.

Economy Minister Nigel Dodds welcomed the initial results of the Tellus Project which will illustrate a wide range of potential applications: "The geological data generated from the Tellus project will provide real scientific and social benefits for Northern Ireland. The project will have a major impact on Northern Ireland’s economic, environmental, agricultural and health sectors for years to come.

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"Similar surveys in other countries have resulted in significant increases in inward investment to those economies. The survey will increase scientists’ understanding of our natural resources, for example aggregates like sand and gravel, which are vital to our construction industries, or precious metals like gold and platinum. The data will also provide baselines against which to measure any future environmental change."

Director of the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI), Garth Earls, is confident that the Tellus conference will be of interest to everyone concerned with the strategic management of the environment and natural resources in Northern Ireland.

He said: "The results, which will be unveiled at the Tellus conference, will be of interest to a range of audiences including planners, regulators and policy makers; central and local government officers; earth and environmental scientists and managers; environmental health officers; the agricultural industry and extractive and energy industries."

The Tellus conference will include a series of presentations and workshops. It will also be a valuable networking opportunity for specialists, planners and managers in this field. A new exhibit on the natural resources of Northern Ireland and their importance to the economy will be officially opened during the conference.

(JM)