Business bulletin: 15 June 2023

The government continues important foundation work towards the path to net zero emissions by 2050 with consultancy firm, Jacobs, awarded a tender by the Northern Territory Government for a large-scale wind generation study in the Territory.

The study, which will be delivered from Jacobs’ Darwin office, will:

• identify prospective locations for large-scale wind generation in the Territory
• develop a wind measurement strategy outlining the optimal approach to capturing and publicly reporting investment grade wind data.

Michael Christie, Director of Operations Northern Australia said, “With a 40‑year history in the Northern Territory, Jacobs is excited to be part of this project and to support the Territory Government’s renewable energy development.”

“We bring strong experience working on wind farm projects not only in Australia, but also globally.”

“Climate change is a key element of Jacobs’ strategic focus, and we are working with a variety of government and private clients to support decarbonisation and renewable energy sources for the long term.”

Wind and solar energy are the cheapest and most readily available resources for use in renewable energy production and renewable hydrogen production.

The Territory’s world class solar resources are well recognised however, the Territory could also have strong wind resource potential which is less well known.

Currently there is limited publicly available information to assist prospective proponents and investors to undertake more detailed assessments of the Territory for large-scale wind generation.

The key objectives of the study are to:

• inform an evidence based, strategic approach to mapping the Territory’s wind energy resources and identifying opportunities for wind energy generation in the Territory
• generate Territory specific material that can be published to support private sector assessment of wind projects in the Territory.

To this end, the study is intended to inform near-term deployment of wind data collection technology to gather data to de-risk and fast track investment.

Mr Christie said “we look forward to working in partnership with the Northern Territory Government to identify potential wind energy opportunities.”

The Australian Government has awarded Darwin Clean Hydrogen Hub - a joint study between INPEX, Santos, Xodus and CSIRO a $1 million grant to conduct a feasibility study into the growth potential of a clean hydrogen market in Darwin.

Over 18 months, the Darwin Clean Hydrogen Hub will examine market demand for hydrogen, renewable energy sites and infrastructure needed to produce and deliver hydrogen, storage requirements and supply chains.

INPEX General Manager Northern Territory, Stuart Knowles said “At INPEX, we are actively working to deliver secure, clean and affordable energy.”

“This INPEX-led study has the potential to support Darwin’s cleaner energy future by identifying new market opportunities in hydrogen. We are proud to be contributing to positive outcomes, here in the Territory.”

The research complements the Territory Government’s work alongside the CSIRO, INPEX, Santos and other industry representatives to establish a carbon capture and storage common-user hub at Middle Arm.

Middle Arm will be a sustainable low emissions precinct which will create 20,000 low emission jobs.

The Australian Government’s Regional Hydrogen Hubs: Development and Design Grants program supports industry with the initial development, feasibility and design work needed to advance Hydrogen Hub concepts to investment ready proposals.

For more information, go to the INPEX website.

The Darwin Convention Centre has well and truly established itself as one of Australia’s premier business event venues and is on track to achieve a record-breaking year.

Hosting over 120 events annually, the centre is the preferred destination for 5 major global conferences in 2023, including:

• World Aquaculture (held in May and attracted over 1,300 delegates)
• 21^st Symposium on Health-Related Water Microbiology
• World Community Development Conference
• Ninth Congress of the International Society for the Study of Iron in Biology and Medicine
• Joint Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Safety and Quality/International Society Rapid Response Systems Conference.

These prestigious events bring together some of the best scientists, researchers, doctors and practitioners, as well as business and government leaders, to discuss the most pressing issues and challenges facing the world today. Hosting these events in Darwin also ensures the Territory has the latest access to data and information from world-leading experts.

It is also an opportunity to promote the Northern Territory’s iconic landscapes, nature-based experiences and enriching culture to an international audience and showcase why we are one of the most competitive, distinctive and meaningful destinations in the world for business events.

Delegate contribution to the local economy is estimated to be $60 million for the 2023 financial year, setting a new record for the Darwin Convention Centre. Next year is expected to be even better, with approximately 20,000 national and international delegates anticipated.

The centre will also achieve another significant milestone next year as it welcomes its one-millionth delegate since opening in 2008.

The Darwin Convention Centre has received impressive recognition on a global scale, securing a sixth place ranking in the latest AIPC Apex Awards. These awards acknowledge the best convention centres worldwide based entirely on client ratings.

The centre has also been recognised nationally, winning Gold at the Australian Tourism Awards in 2021 and Silver in 2022 for Best Business Event Venue in Australia. Locally, the Darwin Convention Centre was awarded the NT Business Excellence Award for a large business at the 2022 Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards.

Find out what’s on, go to the Darwin Convention Centre website.

Caption: Facilitator, Tanya Egerton at the Boosting Business Masterclass in Alice Springs.

Last month, 12 Central Australian businesses participated in a masterclass designed to improve their financial and business performance.

The Boosting Business Masterclass was delivered by Tanya Egerton from Circulanation in partnership with the Northern Territory Government’s small business champions.

Kelly Edwin from Central Australian Cleaning Services said the workshop put the theory into practice.

“Being here with Tanya’s guidance and a room full of like-minded small business people makes all the difference.”

The masterclass was funded under the Small Business Financial Fitness Fund. The fund is designed to help small business owners access training to develop their performance, improve their probability and financial skills.

Prue Skipsey Williams of Plaza Wellbeing Centre said “I unpacked and worked through what would work and what I need to do differently. It is what I need right now.”

Participants left with a business roadmap that can be further developed and implemented with a one-on-one consultation.

If you would like to discuss your circumstances or support available contact our small business champions by calling 1800 193 111 or email businessinfo@nt.gov.au.

Last week, Charles Darwin University (CDU) invited members of the Northern Territory Manufacturers Council to its Casuarina Campus to learn more about CDU new TAFE model and opportunities for collaboration.

In February CDU launched CDU TAFE replacing the previous vocational education and training model. CDU TAFE is more focused and streamlined structure that focuses on future growth and job opportunities for Territorians. The new model continues to offer its existing suite of training courses while also expanding its course offerings to reflect the changing face of the Territory’s skilled workforce needs.

The meet and greet provided an opportunity for Manufacturers Council members to ask questions about CDU’s TAFE model and how Territory businesses can work with CDU to upskill the Territory’s next generation of apprentices and trainees.

A panel led by Michael Hamilton, Pro Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive TAFE discussed a range of topics including apprentice retention, training delivery models and finding skilled lecturers.

The Northern Territory Government is committed to working with industry to ensure it is meeting the workforce needs of business and industry, now and into the future. This commitment is backed by an annual investment of $85 million into support of vocational education and training, particularly for apprenticeships and traineeships, in the Territory.

To find out more about the Northern Territory Governments investment into workforce and training initiatives, go to the Workforce website.

The Northern Australia Infrastructure facility will be facilitating a business strategy and finance workshop at the upcoming Developing Northern Australia Conference in Darwin.

The workshop will focus on NAIF myth busting and requirements, financing options businesses can look to utilize, business plan development and more.

To register for the conference, go to the Developing Northern Australia Conference website.