Our goals

The department supports businesses in the minerals, oil and gas, horticultural, aquaculture, fishing, forestry, agricultural and pastoral sectors to grow and generate economic activity in a sustainable way. While doing this we support Aboriginal business development and employment, recognising their cultural custodianship of the land and seas.

Our industries are major economic drivers in regional and remote areas and have significant potential to create and increase wealth and employment opportunities for regional Territorians.

The department promotes and facilitates development of Territory primary industries and resources through investment attraction activities, investor support, market access maintenance and development, and research development and extension initiatives. We aspire to co-innovate with stakeholders where we can to leverage our research and development capability. The Territory’s stable investment climate supports promotion of the Territory’s unique primary industry and resource opportunities.

Outcomes and strategic actions to progress work against this goal are captured in the table below.

Developing strong and productive relationships with stakeholders, industry and the community supports us to achieve department outcomes.

The foundation of collaboration, trust and respect allows us to create partnerships for common goals. This includes partnerships with industry and Aboriginal groups to develop opportunities in regional areas and working across government, with other jurisdictions, the Australian Government and other national organisations. A commitment to stakeholder engagement is key to our future success.

The department can facilitate improved stakeholder capability by enhancing the impact of our research and development. Effective extension services enable the uptake of new ideas, processes and technology to support a dynamic and competitive industry.

Also, working with the community and industry is important for developing a shared understanding of resource management responsibilities and developing trust.

Outcomes and strategic actions to progress work against this goal are captured in the table below.

Providing industry frameworks to ensure sustainable development and safeguard the community, stakeholders and industry from threats is a core role of the department. This is done through various applications due to the diversity of industries and administration roles we have across the department. Well-regulated industries show maturity and a level of certainty that can boost attraction and investment. Robust, fair and transparent legislation, regulations and policies build trust and give our stakeholders clear boundaries to work within.

Risk must be logically evaluated and mitigation plans prepared for incidents and emergencies, supported through short-term response preparedness. When threats materialise or incidents occur, it is important that industries and communities are prepared through engagement and education to maximise early intervention and rapid, cost-effective responses.

Regulation is key to gaining and maintaining market access. To take advantage of our markets to the north, we must be able to compete on the international stage, and our competiveness will be underpinned by the quality of our products and the quality assurance that underpins them. The demand for clean, natural and safe products will increase and our reputation will be maintained by a sensible approach to biosecurity.

Outcomes and strategic actions to progress work against this goal are captured in the table below.

Our people are our greatest strength. We must value, respect and support staff and their development to ensure we achieve our vision. This begins by a commitment to safety and a safe working environment by investing in systems that manage risk and promote an enhanced health and safety culture. We are committed to improved systems to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses and unsafe work practices.

Diversity is a core Northern Territory Public Sector value. We strive for diversity and the positive benefits it brings, including wider perspectives, informed decision-making and innovation. Embracing workplace diversity supports an inclusive and positive workplace culture and enhances our capability. While our organisation’s culture is multi-faceted and difficult to measure, fostering positive, can-do attitudes and celebrating contributions and achievements supports a strong workplace culture.

The effects of an ageing workforce highlight the need for preparedness to ensure the retention of corporate knowledge when experienced people retire. This includes mentoring and succession planning, as well as robust recruitment initiatives to attract and retain highly skilled people.

We work in highly technical fields and technology is rapidly developing worldwide. We need to rapidly adapt with innovation and ensure our people are trained, skilled and engaged to be responsive.

Enhanced communication also supports a transparent and shared pathway. A strong understanding of roles to ensure clarity and accountability, clearly defining processes to mitigate risk and ensuring mechanisms for two-way dialogue, are critical to building a productive and safe working environment.

To achieve our goals requires strong leadership, and we must continue to invest in leadership development.

Outcomes and strategic actions to progress work against this goal are captured in the table below.

The maturity and effectiveness of our structures and systems has a direct impact on workplace performance. Technology has advanced the way business is done, and our processes and systems can be changed to radically improve our operations, including governance, financial and business performance management systems.

We also require an organisational architecture aligned to our strategy, and one that improves the flow of communication between work units to leverage the expertise in our department, and across government to achieve our goals. Rationalising and reforming our departmental structures to align with the strategic directions will deliver a streamlined, effective and efficient operation.

Streamlining our corporate and technology systems will improve our capacity to deliver reliable, effective and efficient support to stakeholders. Providing digital solutions that are lean, contemporary, scalable and intuitive will ensure we are equipped to meet stakeholder requirements, now and in the future.

Our internal financial, business and project planning systems need to be contemporary and responsive with transparent and effective reporting and assessment tools to underpin our focus on continual improvement.

We need to modernise data and spatial information management systems and processes, leveraging data as one of our most important assets. Our data and spatial information management need continuity in design, maintenance, quality assurance and review processes.

As the digitisation of systems, processes and services increase, we must rapidly respond and leverage new opportunities when appropriate, such as drones, secure data access, molecular science and social media, to deliver services in ways the community and stakeholders expect.

Outcomes and strategic actions to progress work against this goal are captured in the table below.