Business bulletin: 27 February 2025

The Northern Territory has reinforced its position as Australia’s gateway to Asia and is a committed partner of Indonesia following a government delegation to Jakarta and Bali last week.

Indonesia is one of Australia’s closets partners and is an important economic and strategic partner for business in the Northern Territory.

The Northern Territory Government delegation travelled to Indonesia to further strengthen these ties and promote trade and investment opportunities.

In particular the Northern Territory-Indonesia Critical Minerals Memorandum of Understanding was advanced to progress investment opportunities in manufacturing, energy and critical minerals.

Other engagements included participation at the Indonesia Economic Summit to further explore investment opportunities that will mutually benefit our region.

The re-establishment of a dedicated NT Government portfolio of Asian Relation demonstrated the importance of our northern neighbours to growing the Territory economy.

The Northern Territory is ready to work with Indonesia to unlock investment in critical minerals, processing facilities and downstream industries.

The Northern Territory has welcomed 14 educators from Papua New Guinea (PNG) to train and work in the early childhood sector, under a pacific Australian Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme pilot.

The pilot is designed to expand and improve the PALM scheme to address local workforce shortages while developing long-term skills and expertise that will strengthen domestic labour markets in the Pacific.

The 14 PNG educators will first undertake training at Charles Darwin University before commencing employment with two employers in Katherine and Alice Springs.

The addition of the PNG educators will allow these businesses to open more childcare spaces further supporting parents and families in Katherine and Alice Springs.

The PALM Scheme is highly valued by Australian employers and industry, participating countries and by those who come to Australia to work.

PALM supports the economic development of Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste by allowing workers to take up jobs in Australia, build skills and send income to support their families and communities back home.

Since 2017, more than 2,000 workers from PNG have participated in the PALM scheme.

For more information, go to the PALM website.

If you are a Territory business experiencing skill shortages, you can sign up to the WorkerConnect portal for free to search for workers.

The Northern Territory Government WorkerConnect portal is a dynamic online platform that manages a pipeline of workers wanting to work and live in the Northern Territory.

The portal allows businesses search for jobseekers based on skills, experience and work rights.

Businesses can receive alerts when a new CV is uploaded that matches your workforce needs or specific job description.

You can also post job vacancies on the platform at no cost.

Sign up to WorkConnect today to find the workers you need now, and into the future.

The Australian Government has released the first National Small Business Strategy, making it easier for small businesses to operate, innovate and thrive.

Small businesses comprise of around 95 percent of businesses in the Northern Territory and are vital to our economy. Small businesses provide jobs, deliver services, drive innovation and help shape local communities.

The ecosystem in which small businesses operate in is vast and complex. Small businesses interact with all tiers of government, intermediaries, providers and delivery organisations

The strategy lays out how different levels of government will work together to support Australian small businesses.

The National Small Business Strategy aims to:

• elevate small businesses in government decision making
• complement existing work with jurisdictions, and
• inform policy making to deliver better outcomes for small business.

Development of the National Small Business Strategy has involved close collaboration between Commonwealth, state and Territory governments, as well as key stakeholders.

View the National Small Business Strategy.

The Northern Territory’s leading resource exploration event, the Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar returns in 2025 with an impressive line-up of speakers and the latest geoscience data.

Held annually in Alice Springs, AGES attracts a local, national and international audience reinforcing the Northern Territory’s position as a premier destination for exploration investment.

The conference will feature expert presentations from the Department of Mining and Energy’s NT Geological Survey, Geoscience Australia, CSIRO, and key industry players.

This year’s program will highlight recent NT Geological Survey work driving a new wave of mineral discoveries in the Pine Creek region, as well as the resurgence of gold and copper exploration around Tennant Creek.

Mineral exploration results from Central Australia will also be showcased, along with insights into the Territory geological basins and their potential to host hydrocarbons and metals such as copper and zinc.

Critical minerals, including lithium, graphite and rare earths will be a key focus with the Northern Territory hosting defined mineral resources for 17 of the world’s critical minerals and geological potential for a further 13.

The global demand for critical minerals continues to rise to support renewable energy, battery storage and advanced technological industries, and the Northern Territory is primed to play a major role in supplying these essential commodities.

AGES will take place at the Alice Springs Convention Centre 8-9 April.

To register visit Resourcing the Territory website.