Business bulletin: 18 January 2024

Qantas will commence a new service between Darwin and Singapore starting later this year, providing more choice, competiveness and connectivity for Territorians.

The service will connect the Territory to key international markets with one-stop options via Singapore to London and other major international cities leveraging the extensive global route network of Qantas and their partners.

Increased access to and from Singapore will have a significant positive impact for the Northern Territory (NT) tourism industry, connecting visitors from key international markets in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia with the Territory’s tourism offerings.

It will also provide Territorians with more travel choices flying overseas for family and business trips or exploring new leisure destinations.

The new service will be operated by aircraft from Qantas’ Darwin Embraer 90 (E190) base, established with the support of the NT Government.

Tourism NT will work with Qantas on targeted marketing campaigns and activations to promote the new route in the Territory’s international source markets, bringing the NT front of mind for travellers considering an Australian holiday.

Qantas’ new route will operate five times per week from Darwin from 9 December 2024 increasing to daily from March 2025.

Fares will start at $688 return to Singapore.

For further information head to the Qantas website.

The Northern Territory (NT) Government is working with business and industry to grow the Territory’s service exports to $800 million by 2026.

Service trade is an important part of the Territory’s exports and contributed to 3.6% of total Territory exports.

The Territory Government’s international engagement strategy 2022 to 2026 has set an ambitious but achievable target to grow service exports to $800 million by 2026.

In 2022, NT service exports increased by 24.3% to $455 million, to be more than halfway to reaching the target of $800 million by 2026.

One company helping grow the Territory’s service exports is international education and training provider Alana Kaye College.

In 2022, Alana Kaye College was named NT Exporter of the Year for the outstanding contribution to the Territory’s international education sector.

Alana Kaye College also represented the NT in the International Education and Training category at the Australian Export Awards in Canberra last year.

In 2018, Alana Kaye started exporting to the international market and have been successful in bringing in over 600 international students to Australia. The majority of whom now reside and study in the Northern Territory.

Alana Kaye’s international student cohort is from over 30 different countries. Over the last 12 months international students have arrived from Japan, South Korea, Philippines, India, Argentina, Germany, Brazil, Fiji, China and the Netherlands.

Alana Kaye College Chief Executive Officer, Alana Anderson said the college will continue its expansion during 2024 with the introduction of new programs during the year.

“Our strategies for 2024 include the commencement of our English Language (ELICOS) program in our Darwin Campus, undertaking Trans National Training in Aged Care and Individual Support offshore including countries like Sri Lanka, Philippines and India, and seeking new markets around the world for bringing international students into the Northern Territory.”

“We are continually expanding our export markets and seeking new opportunities for the benefit of our students, our college and the Northern Territory.”

For more information, read the international engagement strategy 2022 to 2026.

The Northern Territory (NT) Government has awarded major project status to TE H2’s Darwin H2 Hub.

The Darwin H2 Hub will be a green hydrogen production facility, which will use solar energy to produce more than 80,000 tonnes of renewable-based hydrogen each year.

The project is expected to create 800 jobs during construction and 175 positions once it’s operational. The hydrogen will be exported both domestically and internationally.

TE H2 will be an early mover in giga-scale renewable energy generation and will establish a hydrogen production industry in the Territory.

TE H2 Australian Managing Director, Kam Ho said, “the proposed Darwin H2 Hub is TE H2’s cornerstone project and aims to be the Northern Territory’s first solar-powered green hydrogen production and export project, delivering sustainable and cost-competitive power for domestic use and global export.”

“Major project status marks a significant milestone in the project development. The current objective is to pursue studies in order to consider final investment decision by 2027.”

The Territory Government has been working closely with Total Eren since 2022, now TE H2, and has seen the project develop.

The company will continue to progress its project, working towards design of the downstream facility, transmission infrastructure and upstream generation facility.

TE H2 is among 5 proponents awarded ‘not to deal’ commitments by the NT Government to provide certainty for land at Middle Arm.

Major project status is a formal recognition of a projects significance through its contribution to economic growth, decarbonisation, employment and renewable energy supply chains in the NT.

Caption: CBF recipient RSPCA Darwin received $150,000 for a new on-site and training centre.

A new round of Community Benefit Fund Major Grants have opened to support Territory not-for-profits deliver services, programs and events to Territorians in 2024.

The grants are a fantastic way for community organisations to increase their capacity, service delivery and establishment, and to build on and invest in the important work that they do.

The Community Benefit Fund is also an important source of funding for gambling related research and amelioration programs focused on ways to reduce gambling related harm.

In 2022-23, around 362 community organisations and not-for-profits shared in more than $17 million in grants.

The current round of Community Benefit Fund Grants open for application include:

• Major Community Grants: funding of up to $250,000 is available to provide services, leisure activities and opportunities to Territorians.
• Community Event Grants: funding of up to $250,000 is available to conduct major community events for the benefits of Territorians.
• Vehicle Gifting Grants: available to assist not-for-profits improve business operations and transportation requirements.
• Gambling Amelioration: funding to support the promotion of community awareness and education in respect of problem gambling.

The Community Benefit Fund receives money from levies imposed on the operation of electronic gaming machines in licensed hotels and casinos throughout the Northern Territory.

If you’d like to find out more about the Community Benefit Fund an information session will be held in:

• Darwin at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory at 5:30 pm on Monday 22 January
• Online via Microsoft Teams, on Tuesday 23 January at 12noon. To request an invite to this meeting, email cbf.ntg@nt.gov.au.

Applications for the Community Benefit Fund close on 28 February 2024.

Full guidelines can be found at nt.gov.au/cbf or if you have any questions you can call the Community Benefit Fund on 1300 650 153.