Territory businesses honoured at Telstra awards

Founded six years ago, a Territory business is revolutionising the challenges associated with working in one of Australia’s toughest climates. Read what it is.

Think of the hardest jobs in the Northern Territory – and inspecting roofs would make the top of most lists.

Standing high with full sun exposure in one of the country’s most humid climates isn’t everybody’s idea of a first-choice career pick.

But a six-year-old Territory family business is using technology to re-cast roofing and other high-exposure roles to improve working conditions and improve project efficiency.

Rise Project Consulting – Rise PC – was formed in 2018 by Rapid Creek couple Steve and Anna Goat.

Steve and Anna Goat Rise PC

Having endured his own share of roofs, Steve developed ways to allow readily-available technology including drones, scanners and cameras to overcome the challenges of living and working in the extremes of northern Australia.

He said he was working remotely on a roof during the build-up and concluded “we can do better”.

He bought an aerial drone with a plan for safer, quicker roof inspections.

Six years on, Rise PC has just won the Embracing Innovation award at the Telstra Best of Business Awards for its efforts to revolutionise some of the world’s toughest jobs.

The company uses aerial drones, bathymetric drones, underwater drones, LiDAR scanners and high-grade cameras to create digital twins and virtual tours to assist clients to virtually inspect or visit a remote site, artefact, building, asset or landscape anywhere in the world.

Anna said Rise PC was a proud Territory business working across remote northern Australia fostering Territory businesses to reimagine themselves as first-rate tropical, remote northern Australian experts.

Anggie Wibowo buying a work from Ikuntji Artist Albi Jack at this year’s Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“The Telstra judges commended Rise’s passion for the Territory and said our commitment to using technology to strengthen the north shone through in our submission,” she said.

“We are so proud to showcase not only Rise, but the bigger innovation that is happening here in the Territory and broader northern Australia.”

Steve said rather than creating something new, Rise PC found practical solutions to overcome the challenges of living and working in the Top End.

“Being a Territory business, one of our biggest assets isn’t what we do, but the fact that we do it here in one of the most isolated landscapes and extreme climates on earth.”

Anna will speak at October Business Month on October 23, describing the success of their start-up.

Three other Territory businesses were also honoured at the Telstra Awards.

Not-for-profit Ikuntji Artists was honoured in the Accelerating Women and Building Communities category, Alice Springs Realty won Outstanding Growth business and NTEX won the Promoting Sustainability award.