Boom continues in Darwin

When you read the newspapers these days you might believe that Western Australia is where the boom in Australia’s economy is happening, probably because it has a larger population and a bigger GDP. However, it is the Northern Territory where it is all happening.

The INPEX gas project site in Darwin is the largest construction site in the country at the moment -- and it is currently Japan’s largest ever overseas investment.Five Dutch dredges, the largest in the world, are dredging the harbour up to the plant site which is located near Palmerston, further up than Darwin’s new port.

This means that both house and land and  prices, as well as rents, are soaring as the demand for somewhere to call home increases. It means big business for the local construction industry. And values of everything are rising in Darwin.

The current boom will be highlighted at the 4th Annual Northern Territory Major Projects Conference 2013 which will take place at the , Darwin Convention Centre on October 29-30 this year.

The conference continues to be the largest major projects and infrastructure conference in the state, attracting more than 300 delegates annually.

With the many major projects in the Northern Territory under way it is an exciting period of development and points to the economic vitality that lies ahead for the Northern Territory.

The two-day conference will be examining in detail the significant investments being made in roads, ports, rail, housing, land, transport, education, water and much more, providing an excellent opportunity to discuss the topics and issues presented. 

Prepared by Bob Woodward & Associates: offering you business consultancy, accounting, payroll administration and ancillary services in Darwin, the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory.
http://www.woodwards.co/

Northern Territory's Indigenous spending report

The figures on government spending on indigenous people in the Northern Territory have just been released.

Standing at AUD 4.7 billion for the period 2010-2011, it represented 54 per cent of total government expenditure.

The 2012 indigenous expenditure report's stated aim is to provide cost of services Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by the federal, state and territory governments. This is the second year it has been released.

Federal Government spending accounted for AUD 2.2 billion of the spending or 47 per cent of the AUD 4.7 billion.

The estimated spending per head of population was AUD 67,761 for indigenous people compared to AUD 24,822 for non-indigenous people.

Prepared by Bob Woodward & Associates: offering you business consultancy, accounting, payroll administration and ancillary services in Darwin, the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory.
http://www.woodwards.co/

Some tips when buying a franchise

Franchises are a popular way of starting a new business, but if you are thinking of buying one don't be fooled about potential earnings, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has warned.

The ACCC is currently looking into a number of  misleading claims concerning “guaranteed” earnings made by franchisors in the cleaning and home services industry

The watchdog says it has received a number of complaints from franchisees who say they have been promised a minimum income, but, in reality, have generated very little or no income from their franchise.

The ACCC is particularly concerned by franchisors who appear to target people from non-English speaking backgrounds -- people who may not fully understand the agreements they are entering into.

Franchisors must have a reasonable basis for making all income representations to potential franchisees. Those who give misleading information concerning the potential income of a franchise can be subject to litigation and court imposed penalties of up to $1.1 million per contravention.

Those fines are little compensation to those who have bought into a franchise that has turned sour. So we would like to pass on one or two tips from the ACCC when it comes to investing in a franchise.

For a start, beware of promises that you will earn a guaranteed income, as well as ‘get rich quick’ schemes that claim you can make large amounts of money with little effort.

If the franchisor makes verbal claims, ask for confirmation in writing.

Make it a point of speaking to existing and past franchisees of the business you are considering. Their contact details should be in the disclosure document that the franchisor is required to give you before you enter into your agreement.

Remember that you do have ‘cooling off’ rights. An agreement can be terminated within seven days of entering into it or making any payment under it, whichever occurs earlier.

Always get advice from a lawyer and accountant before entering into a franchising agreement or handing over any money.

Prepared by Bob Woodward & Associates: offering you business consultancy, accounting, payroll administration and ancillary services in Darwin, the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory.
http://www.woodwards.co/

More business opportunities from Japan

Officials from the Northern Territory government led by the Chief Minister, along with the Chamber of Commerce and the Manufacturer’s Council have just visited Japan for important discussions concerning contracts to Territory businesses from the $34 billion Ichthys LNG Project. 

The delegation met with Japanese conterparts to discuss in more detail how contracts from the massive $34 billion project will flow to Territory businesses.

The first contract awarded by JKC went to locally based business Macmahon Contractors Pty Ltd in a 50:50 joint venture with John Holland. The milestone $340 million contract is the single largest contract awarded in the Territory’s history and will create 375 jobs.

As well as being the gateway into Asia, Darwin is fast becoming the oil and gas capital of Australia.

The Territory Government will continue to work with JKC to provide new opportunities for Territory businesses to grow and capitalise on the massive business opportunities brought about by the Ichthys project.

The Local Industry Participation Plan agreed in 2009 means that, as a preference, local goods and services will be used. This means where a service or a product can be sourced competitively from a Territory business, it will be.

Workshops have been held for more than 900 business owners and operators to learn how they can be best placed to bid for and benefit from work on major projects like Ichthys. More workshops are being planned for this year.

Meanwhile, the Territory is set to host the Japan-Australia Joint Business Conference for the first time in 2014, bringing the biggest investors from across Japan and Australia to Darwin.

The conference is the largest of its kind and attracts some of Japan and Australia’s biggest mining and business executives.

Prepared by Bob Woodward & Associates: offering you business consultancy, accounting, payroll administration and ancillary services in Darwin, the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory. http://www.woodwards.co/

New massive national park for the Northern Territory

A huge tract of land and water in the Northern Territory has been converted into one of Australia's largest national parks.

The Northern Territory government has declared more than 10,000 square kilometres as the Limmen National Park, including an 880 square kilometre precinct known as Limmen Bight Marine Park.

Limmen National Park is located approximately 475 kilometres southeast of Katherine and 182 kilometres northwest of Borroloola. The new park includes a long stretch of coastline and Maria Island. It stretches from the Roper River south past the Cox River and east to the Gulf of Carpentaria

The new park is about seven times the size of the Territory’s Litchfield National Park and half the size of Kakadu. It includes beaches, forests, rock art and unusual geological formations.

It seems the Marra people, traditional owners of land, have had their calls to protect the environmentally and culturally sensitive Maria Island answered with the Limmen National Park annoucement.

Last year a delegation of Marra elders gave the Northern Territory parliament a petition calling for Western Desert Resources not to pipe slurry to the island for processing. The island will be included in the new national park and surrounded by the marine park.

Mining is allowed in Territory national parks, but the NT government has said that no mining holes will be dug in Limmen without having to get the highest approval – and there would be a very high environmental bar.

Limmen National Park will protect turtle, dugong and dolphin habitats and large sea grass beds. The coast will be opened up for permit-free recreational fishing.

The region is no longer the Northern Territory's best-kept secret.

Prepared by Bob Woodward & Associates: offering you business consultancy, accounting, payroll administration and ancillary services in Darwin, the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory.
http://www.woodwards.co/

New laws for overseas workers

The Northern Territory is facing a labour shortage due to the resources boom. According to Treasurer Delia Lawrie, the multi-billion dollar Ichthys gas plant alone will require nearly 20,000 extra workers over the next four years. The Territory would still be short of workers even after training locals and recruiting people from interstate, she said.

As a result of this, the Northern Territory is now allowed to welcome overseas workers following a government migration agreement with Immigration Minister Chris Bowen and the Federal government. It is considered a positive step to help fill the Territory's skill shortage.

Australian Immigration Minister Chris Bowen agreed to negotiate a migration agreement for skilled workers with the Northern Territory before other states. It is envisaged that the new regional migration agreement will help the Territory fill its skill shortage using workers from overseas.

That agreement will be especially helpful for smaller Australian businesses that lose workers over the next five years to the resources boom, says the Northern Territory Chamber of Commerce.

According to Chamber Chief Executive Officer Chris Young, the new system should be faster and easier than the 457 visa application process for temporary overseas workers. The new scheme would speed up the application process and shorten the process to no more than three months.

Smaller employers, who can demonstrate that they have genuinely tried to find local employees, will be able to very quickly get an approval to bring in foreign staff, Mr Young says.

Prepared by Bob Woodward & Associates: offering you business consultancy, accounting, payroll administration and ancillary services in Darwin, the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory.
http://www.woodwards.co/

Commemorating the attack on Darwin

February 19th marks 70 years since the first attack on Australian soil in 1942. It took place in Darwin and was the beginning of a 21-month raid on Australia's north. It is a day to commemorate, not to celebrate.

The official government death toll was more than 240 with hundreds more casualties. Many others died and were injured in subsequent attacks on Northern Australia over those following 21 months. It was a defining moment in Australia’s history: it highlighted the fortitude of those living in Darwin and the Australian spirit.

The events of 19 February 1942 were calculated  by the enemy, and was as shocking as the attack on Pearl Harbour just weeks before. It brought the war home to a country previously untouched by foreign conflict.

A new World War Two Heritage Park, thirty kilometre south of Darwin will help us remember that dark period of Darwin’s history It is located on land where the US Army 147th Artillery established a base at that time and includes an educational facility.

The Defence of Darwin Experience is an audio visual installation that introduces the war in the north and attack on Darwin. It will become the new entry point to the Military Museum. Let us hope that it helps future generations to understand the horrors and  the futility of war.

This year will be one of the last opportunities to hear first-hand accounts from surviving veterans and civilians who fought for the defence of our country.

To all our friends, family and colleagues who lost loved ones in that terrible period, we send our sincerest and fondest best wishes. Let it never happen again.

Prepared by Bob Woodward & Associates: offering you business consultancy, accounting, payroll administration and ancillary services in Darwin, the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory.
http://www.woodwards.co/