A new submission by the Minerals Council of Australia has suggested the country's critical minerals sector was well placed to deliver long-term economic and social benefits to regional communities.

The submission to a Federal Parliament inquiry on social licence and economic development outcomes highlighted mining's track record of supporting high wages, low unemployment and stable regional economies.

Drawing on Australian Bureau of Statistics data, the MCA said mining regions continued to outperform national averages, with a 3.58 per cent unemployment rate compared to the national average of 5.1 per cent, while median income was $74,490 - around $33,000 higher than the Australian average of $41,860.

The MCA report followed calls from Indigenous economic policy analysts for Aboriginal Investment NT to make its investments in Indigenous businesses as ambitious as possible to leverage funding impact.

Earlier this month, Aboriginal Investment NT decided to cap its grants and funnel most of its money into a future fund to prolong spending power.

The body is also putting most of the royalty money - $500 million - into a future fund of investments to try to keep the pot growing.

The body says it was worried the flow of mining royalties from Indigenous land was slowing, as several major mines prepared to cease operations.

Two years ago the federal government gave AINT control of $680m in royalties that Northern Territory Aboriginal people had earned from hosting mines on their land.

AINT chief executive Nigel Browne said a diverse range of projects had received funding so far.

"There's now health services around the territory," he said.

"A lot of people are in tourism, running safari camps and that sort of thing. We've got young people who are getting into digital media, also fashion designers.

"So we are trying to do what we can with the finite resources we've got to help Aboriginal communities and uplift them."

Mr Browne said the flow of mining royalties was drying up as several major mines in the NT prepared to close. That prompted AINT to deliver relatively small grants of up to $1 million for community projects and $150,000 for business projects.

The MCA's submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia's (NT) inquiry into preparing for emerging industries outlined how transport networks could connect state assets to create a backbone for mining, industrial, agricultural, defence and community activity.

It outlined a $44 billion plan to develop an east-west and north-south infrastructure axis as part of a minerals processing and manufacturing hub, to help unlock hundreds of billions of dollars in mineral, manufacturing, and agricultural wealth.

The MCA's submission said mining had long been the key driver of regional development, supporting population stability, viable services and functioning local economies in areas that otherwise may have declined.

Critical minerals development could also stabilise regions with small populations and limited housing and services, underpinning long-term economic prosperity.

Long-life mining operations would support employment across generations, and help maintain essential services such as health, education and emergency response.

"These projects are not short-term developments; they are catalysts for population retention, business growth, skills development and long-term regional capability," the MCA report said.

"In towns with a fine line between viability and decline, critical minerals development can be a stabilising force."

The submission outlined several policy measures to strengthen the sector's foundations, including improving planning, environmental and project approval systems to enable timely project delivery, reforming the Native Title Act 1993 framework to support investment, and aligning workforce, training and migration settings with industry demand.

The MCA also called for expanded capability programs to support local and Indigenous businesses, alongside coordinated infrastructure planning across housing, energy, transport and community services.

Veteran analysts including Australian National University (ANU) Indigenous economic policy researcher Michael Dillon, said the conservative approach risked not making the most of the royalties fund.

"I don't think the small grants are going to deliver the benefits that we're looking for here," Mr Dillon said.

"The passive investment approach and just spending $15 million or $20 million a year is not going to change anything."