Business bulletin: 18 February 2021

The Can-Do Territory online portal enables people to apply online, in one spot, to start up a café, restaurant or retail business.

The new digital portal is a direct recommendation of the Territory Economic Reconstruction Commission to slash red tape and make it easier for small businesses to start, run and grow - saving time and resources for busy business owners.

This is just the beginning, the platform will continue to expand including more business applications, improving and streamlining approval processes and making it easier for Territorians to lodge and track forms and access business information.

As part of the first stage of the Can-Do Territory portal, anyone looking to lodge and track applications online to start a café, restaurant or retail business include:

• registering or renewing a food business
• applying for a liquor licence
• applying for a trade waste permit
• accessing key links to information such as applying for an ABN, how to write a business plan or advice on licences and permits.

Once an application is made a tracking number will be sent via SMS and be unique to the applicant.

To find out more, go to the Can-do Territory website.

Territory businesses can now access support under two new grant programs to rebound strongly from COVID-19 and adapt to new market conditions.

This new support is part of a suite of programs being delivered under the Northern Territory Government’s Jobs First Plan deigned to support local businesses and create new jobs.

The Business Hardship Package, which provides relief to power, water and other ongoing costs, is due to end 1 July 2021; the Northern Territory Government acknowledges the need for businesses to assess where they can reduce their ongoing costs.

Business Saver Grant will assist businesses reduce their overall ongoing expenses, increase their profitability and adapt to the new economic environment using new technologies.

Businesses that are experiencing difficulties with supply chains due to COVID-19 can now also access new government support.

Supply Chain Solver will assist businesses experiencing supply chain issues and help them unlock new business opportunities.

Both of these programs are one-off grants, and applications will be assessed on a competitive basis.

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade will engage industry experts to provide advice and recommended solutions to the issues put forward by the businesses.

The programs are open to Territory small businesses with an annual turnover of less than $10 million.

Eligible businesses can apply for funding of up to $10,000 on a 50:50 co-contribution basis, per program.

Applications for both programs close on 28 March 2021.

To view the terms and conditions and to apply, go to the Business Recovery website.

More than 400 Territorians are needed to fill crew jobs and creative roles for MaveriX, the largest ever production to be filmed in the Territory.

The Northern Territory Government have invested $1.5 million into MaveriX, a 10‑part TV series that follows six junior motocross riders selected for the first intake of the MaveriX Academy in Alice Springs, the home of dirt bike racing in Australia.

The children’s drama series is produced by Alice Springs based production company Brindle Films and will be broadcast in Australia on the ABC.

The Australian Children’s Television Foundation, a major partner of the series, has also sold the global rights to Netflix outside of Australia, with the Red Centre to be showcased to up to 204 million subscribers in 190 countries across the globe.

MaveriX Co-Creator, Isaac Elliott said “MaveriX has been five years in the making but really it stems from growing up in Alice Springs in and around motocross. It’s the most exciting sport in the world and it’s amazing to be able to bring the sport through MaveriX to the screen.”

MaveriX is looking for crew members and support services and there are opportunities in:

• on screen: acting extras
• electrical: electricians for opportunities in the lighting department
• hospitality: catering supplies, accommodation providers
• creative: art department, graphic designers, sculptors, crafts, interior decorators
• medical: set nurses
• construction: builders, carpenters and trades people for set construction
• costumes: seamstress, tailors
• health and safety: traffic management and work health and safety specialists
• education: teachers / tutors
• automotive: mechanics, action vehicles.

Professional Territorian crew and talent are invited to send expressions of interest plus CV directly to the production c/o Ross Allsop at crew.maverix@gmail.com.

The series is being produced with the support of the ABC Children’s, Screen Australia, the Northern Territory Government, South Australia Film Corporation, and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation.

Filming begins in April 2021.

Registrations for the Territory’s premium exploration event, the Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar (AGES) are now open.

The event, which has been running for more than two decades, has proven key in attracting and supporting the exploration of the Northern Territory’s rich resources, by providing state of the art geoscience information and data.

This year’s seminar will be held in Alice Springs in April, and it’s anticipated to attract more than 200 delegates.

After the 2020 event was cancelled due to COVID-19, this year’s seminar will bounce back with a list of highlights including:

• new data releases and exploration concepts from major collaborative geoscience programs in the East Tennant and South Nicholson regions
• the latest on liquids-rich gas discoveries in the Beetaloo Sub-basin
• new insights into copper mineralisation and potential across the Territory
• release of information on MinEx CRC drilling programs in the Barkly region
• new information on the architecture and resource potential of the Territory’s sedimentary basins.

AGES is an important opportunity for the government to showcase the latest geological results from the Northern Territory Geological Survey programs under the $26 million Resourcing the Territory initiative.

The Northern Territory’s exploration sector is set for a big year in 2021, driven by strong exploration for commodities such as copper, gold, gas and lithium.

Pre-seminar workshops commence 19 April, followed by the AGES 2021 event on 20 and 21 April at the Alice Springs Convention Centre.

Register for AGES 2021

Photo credit: Tourism NT

Territory small businesses are invited to attend the Barkly Futures Forum to explore upcoming opportunities in the region.

The Barkly region is home to some of the largest cattle stations in the world, the region is rich in natural resources with several significant mining projects due to come online, and it will be home to the world’s largest solar farm with Sun Cables $22 billion Australian-ASEAN Power Link project advancing.

The forum is an important event that will increase local understanding of these emerging economic activities and create a space for businesses to come together and learn from each other.

It is designed to provide businesses with an opportunity to explore five key and exciting sectors that are growing in the Barkly region they include - agribusiness, creative arts, social services, tourism, and mining and energy resources sector.

It is a great opportunity for emerging small and medium businesses to speak directly with business leaders, government representatives and experts about game changing economic activity in the region.

Program highlights include:

• panel sessions – local success stories, how to engage with major project supply chains and how to engage with big business
• creative arts industry session – presentation from Screen Territory on growth of creative arts in the Barkly region, including a cinematic screening of the currently premiering film High Ground highlighting Territory content
• a special Meet the Buyer event, providing opportunity for Barkly small businesses to promote their organisation directly with end users and large companies
• a special Black Coffee networking event organised by the Northern Territory Indigenous Business Network
• Barkly Futures Forum networking dinner, registration is essential, go to the Eventbrite website.

The forum will be held on 24 and 25 February at the Tennant Creek Civic Hall. Due to COVID-19 there is a limit on capacity therefore registration is essential.

Further information and and registration for the Barkly Futures Forum are on to the Eventbrite website.