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At Gove, in a remote corner of Australia is one of Alusuisse's most important operations. Just a few degrees south of the equator and on the northeastern tip of the Northern Territory, in the sacred aboriginal Arnhem Land, Gove is 19,500km from Europe, 3,500km from Australia's largest city, Sydney, and 650km from the nearest city, Darwin.
Today Gove is still more than 600km from the nearest hardware store, but residents of the town of Nhulunbuy enjoy a lifestyle many wouldn't exchange for anything else. In fact, many of the present staff and dieir families have been there since the first shipload of bauxite left Gove in 1971 . Others have come and stayed - or gone - in the meantime. (Gove has a turnover of staff of between 10 and 15% every year which is remarkably stable for such a remote community.)
Residents live in comfortable, air-conditioned homes which give protection in the region's two-season annual cycle - die dry and die rainy. The climate and location encourage outdoor living. Residents enjoy facilities ranging from a fine golf course, an Olympic-size swimming pool, tennis courts, squash courts, sports ovals and odier club, sporting and recreational facilities.
The workforce of about 830 people and their families, together with the people who provide the town service, make up a population of nearly 4,000 people from 52 nations. In addition, about...