NT Chamber of Commerce slams Gunner Government: ‘You’ve wasted two years’

WARNINGS from the business community about the NT’s spiralling economy have gone unheeded for two years and it’s the last chance for the Gunner Government to finally start taking action, says the NT Chamber of Commerce

Warnings from the business community about the Territory’s spiralling economy have mostly gone unheeded for the past two years and it is time for the Gunner government to take action, says the NT Chamber of Commerce

WARNINGS from the business community about the Territory’s spiralling economy have mostly gone unheeded for the past two years and it is time for the Gunner government to take action, says the NT Chamber of Commerce.

Acting Chamber of Commerce NT chief executive Brian O’Gallagher said the final results of their 2019 Business Outlook Survey, which closed on Saturday, show most of the 608 local businesses surveyed were frustrated with the NT Government’s “indecision” when it came to fixing the economy.

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The Chamber put together a five-point plan to grow the NT economy from the survey results which calls on the Gunner government to:

1. ACKNOWLEDGE that it is the local private sector that needs to lead economic growth and act accordingly;

2. CONTINUE to invest in strategic infrastructure;

3. TACKLE crime, vandalism and itinerant issues that are killing local business;

4. NT Government to live within its means;

5. GROW the population.

Last month, Treasurer Nicole Manison said she wanted the public to comment and come up with ideas on how to address the Territory’s looming budget debt and a total of $300,000 has been budgeted for a fiscal review.

However, Mr O’Gallagher said the last thing the Territory needed was more lengthy public consultation.

“We’ve been saying the same things for the last two years – we don’t need any more lengthy public forums, we need action,” he said.

Between October 2016 and March 2017, the Government held public forums to let Territorians have a say about the NT’s economic future in order to form a “development framework”, a process which cost $475,000.

Chief Minister Gunner said the Government’s past economic forums and the current fiscal review were “two entirely separate topics.”

He also defended the decision to bring in former WA Under Treasurer John Langoulant to spearhead budget repair over the NT’s own Under Treasurer Craig Graham.

“It was crucial to have a fresh set of independent eyes over this process to ensure the best outcome,” Mr Gunner said.