Business bulletin - 15 February 2018

A team of three eminent Territorians have been tasked with attracting investment, growing business and creating jobs for the Territory.

Former Chief Minister Clare Martin, former Northern Territory (NT) Government Chief Executive Paul Tyrrell and leading business man Dick Guit form Team NT. They have been brought together to sell the NT’s investment, business and lifestyle prospects nationally and internationally.

The Team NT approach will build on the success of past joint international and national missions between government, industry and business.

Team NT's three main tasks include:

• bring more corporate offices to Darwin
• use our existing offshore gas reserves to bring more manufacturing to the Territory, and
• improve airline connectivity and sea links with Asia and our region including Eastern Indonesia and Timor Leste.

The group have significant expertise in attracting investment and international engagement. Clare Martin and Paul Tyrrell helped deliver a number of major projects to the Northern Territory including Inpex and Virgin Airlines to Darwin; and Dick Guit has been a leading business man in the NT for year including 45 years of experience in the building and construction industry.

The group will form part of a broader three-tier Team NT approach which will also include joint engagement and investment missions with industry and business, and engaging the broader business and community sectors as advocates for the Territory.

Positioning the Territory to benefit from $20 billion of Australian Defence Force construction projects planned over the next 20-years is a key part of the Northern Territory’s Defence and National Security Strategy.

The strategy was unveiled in Canberra yesterday at the 15th Annual ADM Congress to 350 senior-level delegates last night.

Developed in consultation with key stakeholders, the strategy covers six focus areas to enable the Territory to fully capitalise on the once in a generation opportunity from the significant renewal of Australia’s Defence capability. It articulates a clear path towards building and expanding industry capability, capturing innovation and research potential, and investments in strategic infrastructure.

The six strategic areas of focus in the strategy are:

1. Strategic engagement and communication - increase engagement with regional neighbours and generate more opportunities for Territory industry to compete for defence and national security work.
2. Business capability - maximise the socioeconomic benefit from Defence in the Territory and support Territory business to win defence work.
3. Workforce capacity - grow the use of local industry in the supply chain for defence and national security projects.
4. Defence community - establish the Territory as a posting of choice for Defence and national security personnel.
5. Innovation, research and partnership - deliver new specialised research and training activities in the Territory.
6. Strategic infrastructure - ensuring infrastructure in the Territory supports ongoing future needs of Defence, including the capability to meet demand.

The Northern Territory’s Economic Development Framework identifies Defence and defence support industries as a growth sector.

View the Northern Territory's Defence and national security strategy.

Applications are now open to the Northern Territory (NT) Government’s new $3 million Visitor Experience Enhancement Program.

The new program will improve the Territory’s tourism experiences, facilities and attractions to make these sites more enjoyable for visitors and Territorians alike.

It will enable the tourism industry to undertake projects that will improve on-ground visitor experiences in the NT and increase the likelihood of customers to make positive recommendations about the Territory to family and friends.

Eligible projects and activities under the new program may include infrastructure upgrades, additional accommodation, implementation of new technology, new experiences targeting niche markets like fishing, bushwalking and bird-watching or value adding to existing experiences through new signage.

The new Visitor Experience Enhancement Program will be rolled out over two financial years, with applications to Round 1 closing 30 April 2018.

For further information email strategy.tourism@nt.gov.au or phone 08 8999 5198.

The new program is part of the NT Government’s $103 million Turbocharging Tourism stimulus package, to boost tourism and drive the economy through infrastructure, smart marketing and experience development.

To apply go to Visitor Experience Enhancement Program.

Garry Giles is a key link between training organisations, apprenticeship and traineeship support, government skilling programs and industry associations.

Garry is a Northern Territory (NT) Government Workforce Training Coordinator based in Katherine. His job is to provide information and advice on workforce training options and opportunities to businesses and Aboriginal organisations.

Gary has helped achieve a string of major training and employment successes throughout the Katherine region.

For instance, about 20 Aboriginal people have been trained in civil construction and maintenance, and are now working on building the new bridge across the Roper River at Ngukurr.

He has also supported Aboriginal-owned labour hire companies forge partnerships with private businesses.

And more than 15 Aboriginal people have been trained to work on the NT Government’s big remote housing program - Our Community. Our Future. Our Homes.

Garry, who works for the Department of Trade, Business and Innovation, stresses that the aim is not just to train and employ local people in the short term, but to build sustainable capacity in companies and Indigenous organisations so that they can compete for contracts.

“We want local tradesmen working in communities, rather than having to bring in help from outside” he says.

Garry has been in human resources management for more than 20 years and has lived in Katherine for 15 years.

“I love my job because I can make a real difference to people’s lives,” he says.

If you would like to discuss training options for your business or organisation you can contact Garry on 08 8973 8406.

The Northern Territory’s (NT) first Buy Local Industry Advocate, Mr Deny Stedman, has officially started in his new role.

Appointed to the role in September last year Mr Stedman, will provide an independent advocacy function to government on behalf of local industry.

Interim Buy Local Industry Advocate Doug Phillips continues in his role as the independent Chair of the Procurement Review Board.

Mr Stedman has an extensive knowledge of the NT business community. He was previously partner in charge of KPMG and has represented many professional bodies over the years.

In addition, he has served on government bodies recently completing his term on the NT Planning Commission and NT Business Advisory Council.

Mr Steadman said that his role is to ensure businesses are provided full, fair and reasonable opportunities to compete for government contracts.

“The Buy Local Plan is about ensuring the largest possible part of every dollar spent by the NT Government delivers benefits for the NT economy and community,” Mr Stedman said.

“Supporting and enhancing the capabilities of local business and industry is fundamental to creating value for the Territory.”

“I will be a member of the reformed Procurement Review Board and head-up a subcommittee of that board to focus on Buy Local policies.”

“I will able to investigate complaints directly from industry and to audit the awarding of contracts and the implementation of them.”

Anyone wishing to contact the Buy Local Advocate, can call 08 8999 7799 or email BuyLocal.Advocate@nt.gov.au