A community forum in Fannie Bay has been organised by United NT Businesses to discuss solutions to the issues facing small businesses and the wider community ahead of the August 20 by-election, organisers said.

CLP candidate Ben Hosking, as well as independent candidates Leah Potter and Raj Rajwin, have been confirmed to attend, but organisers said Labor candidate Brent Potter has not responded to invitations and Greens candidate Jonathan Parry and independent George Mamouzellos declined to attend the forum.

The public forum starts at 9am Saturday morning at Aviator’s Park in Fannie Bay, behind the Cool Spot.

UNTB president Mario Tsirbas said it was important that residents of the Fannie Bay electorate carefully consider their vote to ensure the best outcomes for the community and understand what the candidates are offering.

“Crime is out of control,” Mr Tsirbas said. “Anti-social behaviour is on every street corner at the moment. And government still refuse to listen to small business.

“The people of Fannie Bay have an opportunity to send government a message in this by-election. We need to have people in parliament who are going to fight for a fair go for small businesses.”

The electorate includes the suburbs of East Point, Fannie Bay, The Gardens, Parap, and Ludmilla.

United NT Businesses, made up of 500 NT businesses, formed late last year and commenced legal action against the Gunner Government’s mandatory vaccination laws. The group had high-profile human rights lawyer Julian Burnside to argue the matter in the Supreme Court but the government essentially quashed the case against them by enacting retrospective laws in Parliament late one night in June.