WE WANT YOU
Gunner Government reveals list of jobs to be offered financial incentives in a bid to lure Aussies to the Territory
FINANCIAL incentives will be offered to certain workers if they move to the Northern Territory, under a new plan to boost the population.
The Sunday Territorian can reveal the NT Government will unveil its population growth strategy this week, with a target of returning the growth rate to 1.4 per cent, from a recent low of 0.6 per cent. During the next decade, this increase is expected to create 21,000 jobs.
The incentives will be offered to those in high priority skilled occupations and are aimed at attracting and retaining workers in the Territory.
Among the jobs on the wish list will be childcare workers, chefs, property managers and hairdressers. Pilots, engineers, plumbers and electricians are also on the list.
Hair Oracle owner, hairdresser and part-time Charles Darwin University lecturer Joe-Joe Summerhill came to the Territory years ago, on a similar scheme.
“It was the only reason I came here actually,” she said.
“They were looking for hairdressers and offering money for it.
“I wanted to go to Perth but here had the incentives.”
Ms Summerhill said despite having owned her business for a number of years, she was still always on the lookout for staff.
“This is a very transient place,” she said.
“I’ve had loads of staff and they only stay for a year or two.”
Yesterday, CDU hair and beauty head Linda Manning was in Ms Summerhill’s chair.
She said having skilled workers like hairdressers on a financial incentives list would encourage more than just hairdressers to move to the Northern Territory.
“A lot of people miss the ‘city’ city of Melbourne and think Darwin is a bit country,” she said.
“If we had more good people in this industry up here, others would also come.”
Tomorrow, the NT Gov- ernment will release the Territory’s new Masterbrand.
Masterbrand research, done by interstate creative firm the Royals with input from Boab Design and market research company McGregor Tan, found those living down south believed the NT was a barren wasteland perpetually stuck in the 1980s.
It is understood the plan will show a strategy to market the Territory as a destination to holiday, study, do business and live to interstate and overseas residents.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the increase in jobs the strategy was expected to bring would boost the Territory’s economy by $ 10 billion.
“The Territory Labor Government’s No.1 priority is creating local jobs.
“Attracting more people to live in the Territory means more jobs,” he said.
The development of the strategy has cost $1.5 million.
The Sunday Territorian understands three words have been chosen to market the NT. It’s not known whether those words will be revealed tomorrow.
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