Business bulletin: 22 July 2024

In the lead up to the Territory’s premier business program October Business Month (OBM), an impressive line-up of keynote speakers has been announced.

This year’s keynote speakers include:

• Cathy Freeman OAM – a proud Kuku Yalanji and Birri Gubba woman, etched her name in history as an Australian Indigenous Olympic champion.
• David Koch – fondly known to the public as Kochie, is one of Australia's most recognised and respected personalities.
• Dr Alan D. Thompson – a world expert in artificial intelligence (AI), specialising in the augmentation of human intelligence, and advancing the evolution of ‘integrated AI’.
• Pip Courtney – award winning journalist and host of the popular ABC rural affairs program Landline.
• Leigh Sales AM – one of Australia’s most respected award-winning authors and journalists. She is now the presenter of the ABC’s beloved Australian Story program.

Proudly celebrating its 30th anniversary, OBM 2024 will feature events and workshops across the Territory, exploring valuable themes, trends and thought-provoking insights to support, inspire and grow local businesses.

Early bird tickets for the keynote speaker events are on sale now! Eligible purchases will go into the running to win a Trip to Dili, Timor Leste, thanks to airline sponsor Airnorth. Conditions apply, visit OBM website for full details and inclusions.

To be in the running purchase an early bird ticket to any OBM keynote speaker event, and attend the nominated keynote event in October.

Bookings for keynote speaker events can be made online on OBM website.

The full OBM program will be released early September.

Stay tuned for program announcement and updates and subscribe now to the OBM mailing list.

The economic development of Northern Australia’s agricultural sector has taken an important step forward with a Detailed Business Case on the Ord River Expansion to the NT (DBC) given the green light.

The Northern Territory Government has secured $2.3 million in Australian Government funding, through the National Water Grid Fund to deliver the DBC.

The Territory has had a long association with the WA’s Ord River Irrigation Scheme (ORIS) which delivers water from Lake Argyle to agricultural areas in Northern Australia.

Developing the ORIS would provide up to an additional 24,000ha in the Northern Territory and Western Australia to irrigate agriculture and support regional economic development.

Earlier this year, a Preliminary Business Case for the Ord River Expansion (PBC) delivered in partnership with the NT, WA and Australian governments assessed the feasibility of extending the ORIS across the border.

Three irrigation expansion options were shortlisted, they include:

• Option 1 - Knox Channel and Lake Kununurra Pipeline: this option delivers peak irrigation demand during the dry season and minimises on-farm storage and enables additional agricultural land to be developed in WA, as well as the NT.
• Option 2 - Duplication of the M1 Channel located in Stage 1: this option delivers peak irrigation supply to the farm gate during the dry season, which minimises on-farm storage.  This would ensure peak supply for the proposed irrigated agriculture development in the NT whilst maintaining agreed supply to existing farmers.
• Option 3 - Channel with off-scheme storage: this option proposes supplying on-farm water demand using off-peak capacity of the existing ORIS, drawing water during the wet season for on-farm storage.

These short list options are scalable and are able to be developed with staging of farms. This ensures that the investment can be staged to match the supply needs in the short, medium and long term.

The Ord River Expansion to the Northern Territory project will be critical in unlocking Northern Australia’s abundant and untapped economic potential.

Find out more about Preliminary Business Case for the Ord River Expansion to the Northern Territory.

Regional TAFE in the Northern Territory has received a boost with a $3.5 million Technical Trades Training Centre to be established in Katherine.

The Australian Government will invest $2.5 million under its TAFE Technology Fund and Charles Darwin University will invest $1 million to improve training facilities in the Big Rivers region.

The centre will provide training in current and emerging skills priorities in the region including building and construction, engineering, electrotechnology, plumbing and automotive.

New facilities will include welding bays, drill presses and bench vices. Equipment will be designed to be mobile or disassembled for easy storage.

A Technical Trades Training Centre in Katherine will expand capacity for the delivery of vocational education and training in the region and create potential pathways for young people living in the Big Rivers area.

This investment builds on opportunities created through the Australian and Northern Territory Government Fee-Free TAFE initiative.

To date, 1,830 Territorians have undertaken fee-free training.

The joint initiative is designed to support key sectors experiencing critical skill shortages build the workforce they need both now and into the future.

Grants for the Community Benefit Fund are now open to support Territory not-for-profit organisations to deliver services, programs and events to Territorians.

The Community Benefit Fund provides much needed funding for community organisations to continue to deliver services for Territorians and is a fantastic way to increase capacity, service delivery and to build on the important work that organisations do.

In 2023-24, over 320 community organisations and not-for-profits shared in more than $15.5 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 benefit of Territorians.
• Vehicle Gifting Grants - available to assist not-for-profits to improve business operations and transportation requirements.
• Gambling Research - funding to support gambling research that is relevant to the Northern Territory.

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

Applications for this round of funding must be made online via Grants NT and close on Saturday 31 August 2024.

Full guidelines can be found at Northern Territory Government website or if you have any questions you can contact the Community Benefit Fund on 1300 650 153.