Almost half of $12m Biz Secure grants awarded in last 12 months

MORE than $12m worth of Biz Secure grants have been given to NT businesses following a significant surge in applications over the past year

• Larrakia Nation patrols record 60 per cent spike in alcohol-related call outs
• ‘I’m worried thieves will continue to return’: Business cry out for help amid crime spike

MORE than $12m worth of Biz Secure grants have been given to NT businesses at risk of break-ins to date following a significant surge in applications over the past 12 months.

Figures obtained by the NT News show that since the Biz Secure Safety Improvement Grants program began in 2017, the government has approved 2080 applications and $12.6m in grant funding.

Almost half of those applications were submitted in the past 12 months alone, with 861 Biz Secure requests approved since last January at a total value of $5.8m.

MORE TOP NEWS

Mystery man caught with pants down in the back of work ute

Gunner addresses cocaine sex scandal allegedly involving Labor members

Man needed surgery after allegedly being attacked with knife

Biz Secure is a government-run grants program that allows business owners to upgrade their security.

Applicants can receive up to $20,000 to bolster their security to prevent break-ins.

A spokeswoman from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade said on average, the value of grant funding per approved application was about $6080.

She said the most popular types of works approved under the Biz Secure program included security systems (CCTV and alarms), securing doors and windows, securing a business premises’ perimeter and lighting.

The Exotic North Indian Cuisine restaurant was one of many businesses recently broken into. Photograph: Che Chorley

Restaurateur Jason Hanna, who has been affected by the recent crime wave, said the scheme helped stem the rate at which his venues were broken into. The owners of Exotic North Indian Cuisine restaurant said they were still anxiously awaiting for their application to be approved.

The Cullen Bay restaurant was among half a dozen Darwin venues to be broken into and left with a hefty clean-up bill last week.

HOT NEW DEAL: $1 for 28 days subscription offer

“We lodged it quite some time ago and still haven’t heard back from the government,” co-owner Rajwinder Singh said.

“I’m worried thieves will continue to return if they feel like they can easily get away with breaking in again.”

An Industry, Tourism and Trade Department spokeswoman said the wait times for application approval varied.

Follow @tashemeck