The head of the Nhulunbuy Corporation in north-eastern Arnhem Land estimates it will take about three months to clean up debris from Cyclone Ingrid.

Mike Hindle says thousands of trees were uprooted and power poles knocked down when the eye of the cyclone passed 30 kilometres north of Nhulunbuy as a category four system just over a week ago.

Mr Hindle says the community has work teams focused on removing the trees.

"We've got six trucks and three backhoes just clearing debris from the gardens and at this moment in time we're concentrating on picking up all the residents' rubbish," he said.

"I guess we've probably got about two or three weeks of doing that and then we'll start on the parks and gardens and the road reserves, the ovals and that sort of stuff because there's a tremendous amount of trees down there."

Mining giant Alcan says it lost two days production when it shut down its Nhulunbuy alumina refinery as a precaution against Cyclone Ingrid.

Spokesman David Sutherland says that equates to about $2 million but he says it is part of doing business in the Northern Territory.

"We have a very proficient emergency management plan and especially for cyclones and I must say that on this occasion it worked like clock work," he said.

"The team did a great job and that's a good example of how there was virtually no damage to the refinery during what was a massive cyclone."