Business news from across the Northern Territory: Latest highlights include a new “heli-foraging” outing for tourists to search for “botanicals”, as well as Darwin City offering free accessibility seminars for small businesses. Making resource news highlights include Top End Energy quadrupling its granted license tenure in the NT obtaining 27,885 km of acreage from Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Energy, and the NT Government stating the Territory’s mining and resource industry is now worth $6.2 billion.

Tourism

NT businesses offer ‘heli-foraging’ outing for tourists

Heli-foraging, a new visitor attraction in the NT, will enable tourists to travel across the 20,000-ha Finniss River looking for botanicals used to flavour gin, through wetlands, paperbark forests and savannah plains.

Parties of up to six will fly by helicopter for the 30-minute flight from Darwin Airport to Finniss River Lodge to search for the botanicals used to flavour Darwin Distilling Co’s gin. After a meal at Finniss River Lodge, the guests will fly back to the city where the hand-picked flavours will be distilled into a bottle of gin at Darwin Distilling Co.

Heli-foraging is a partnership between Territory businesses including Darwin Distilling Co, Finniss River Lodge and Nautilus Helicopters to showcase a rarely seen side of the Top End. Tours start a $2,499 per person. Bookings can be made via Charlie’s of Darwin’s website.

Business

GenOffGrid is the newest beneficiary of NT’s Local Jobs Fund

Generators and Off-Grid Energy Pty Ltd (GenOffGrid), a firm engaged to replace diesel consumption with remote energy systems across the Territory is the latest beneficiary of the NT’s Local Jobs Fund (NTLJF). GenOffGrid has developed a deployable solar power station model that they say lessens diesel fuel burn in off-grid applications by up to 94 per cent.

The firm received a $3 million Business Concessional Loan through the LJF that will be used for the relocation of its headquarters from Western Australia to East Arm in Darwin. The fund will also be utilised for the expansion and installation of more microgrids across remote NT.

GenOffGrid’s systems have been designed and tested successfully, and are already installed in several remote locations across NT and WA, the company said.

The firm is moving its headquarters to the NT due to the jurisdiction’s import and export facilities that reduce trucking costs, giving the company a competitive advantage, while also being close to South-East Asia.

Resources

TEE just quadrupled its acreage in NT

Top End Energy (TEE) has quadrupled its granted license tenure in the Northern Territory, obtaining 27,885 km of acreage from Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Energy. TEE said the newly acquired acreage has prospects for natural hydrogen and helium, as well as conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons.

The granted licenses mean the company can start exploration work immediately avoiding regulatory delays that have hindered progress on its other assets, the company said. The company said it is mainly interested in the natural hydrogen and helium angle for the new assets.

There have been no upfront payments to Hancock Energy as TEE has acquired the option over the land. Hancock is maintaining exposure to the assets by holding a royalty over any future production revenues.

NT’s mining sector is now worth billions: Govt says

The NT Government said the Territory’s mining and resource industry is currently worth $6.2 billion. The industry, according to the government, was bolstered by an expenditure of $74.4 million in mineral exploration for the September quarter of 2023.

“Having a strong and diversified economy means that we will have the revenue to enable investment back into Territory priorities and essential services such as secure energy supply, health, education, housing, and infrastructure,” NT Chief Minister Eva Lawler said.

To further attract investments, the NT Government has released an updated guide to the NT’s critical minerals, outlining the Territory’s resources and what they are used for. As part of the update, the critical minerals list has increased from 15 to 17, with gallium and graphite added to the list following recent discoveries of these minerals in the NT.

A Territory-wide “social licence” campaign will also be put in place, the government said.

Events

Free accessibility seminars offered for small NT businesses

The City of Darwin will be offering two free accessibility seminars with 64 spots available for Darwin-based businesses that aims to improve access and inclusion at workplaces. The seminars will be held on March 19 and 21 and will be run by Flare Access.

Darwin Mayor Kon Vatskalis said the two sessions are stand-alone, so business owners are urged to attend both sessions to maximise the benefits.

“Improving business accessibility has many benefits, including increasing revenue and allowing people with a disability to participate more fully in their workplaces and within the community. We encourage all types of businesses, including retail, hospitality, and cultural or other industries, to take part,” Mr Vatskalis said.

Topics include; Introducing Accessibility in Business: Where to start to increase accessibility and inclusion and Physical Premises and Design: How to increase the accessibility of your space, no matter what the budget. To register, go to darwin.nt.gov.au/better-access-means-better-business.