Dear Palmerston Business Representative,

August is shaping up to be a vibrant month in Palmerston, with new businesses opening their doors, major events returning to the city and plenty of opportunities for our business community to stay future‑ready.

This edition celebrates the continued growth of Palmerston’s business landscape highlighting the 41 NT Local Business Awards finalists while also providing information on current grants, governance support and other resources available to operators.

We celebrate the success of the inaugural Business Social and encourage you to save the date for the 2026 Palmerston Business Futures Forum.  

With Darwin Festival returning to Goyder Square and consultation underway for the Marlow Lagoon Masterplan, August offers plenty of ways to connect, participate and contribute to Palmerston's continued growth and momentum.

2026 Palmerston Business Futures Forum

Lock it in your calendar, the 2026 Palmerston Business Futures Forum will take place on Thursday 22 October from 7:30am - 9:30am at Rydges Palmerston.

The Forum brings together Palmerston’s business and industry community to explore emerging trends, future market opportunities and practical pathways for growth, offering a focused and interactive space for leaders, operators and supply‑chain partners to engage in forward‑looking discussion. It’s a key event for anyone wanting to stay connected, informed and future‑ready in Palmerston’s evolving business landscape.

More details on the Forum will be featured in the next edition of the newsletter. 

The Business Social

Thank you to all the businesses that came to The Business Social. It was a meaningful night for local businesses to come together and connect with other businesses and industry stakeholders. 

The Business Social provided improved networking opportunities, collaboration with Council, access to mentors, and an enhanced information-sharing platform. 

New Business Alert! 

The Palmerston municipality is seeing a clear and growing trend of businesses choosing to expand from Darwin to Palmerston, drawn by the City’s strong customer base, convenient access and vibrant commercial environment.

Kopi Stop Palmerston is now open offering quality coffee, Singaporean dishes and their award winning laksa in an environment where people can catch up over coffee, parents can relax, students can study, and visitors can spend more time enjoying everything the Palmerston Library has to offer. 

One of the latest to join the community is a Territory favourite, Fannie Bay Super Pizza. After more than 40 years of serving fresh, authentic Italian food, they are now preparing to open their second location right here in Palmerston City.  After plenty of work behind the scenes, the team is looking forward to welcoming Palmerston locals this Wednesday for their soft launch with doors open from 11am to 9pm.

Local Business 2026 Awards FINALISTS! 

Local businesses across Palmerston have truly shone this year, with an impressive 41 local operators named as finalists in the Local Business Awards across a wide range of categories. Their hard work, innovation and commitment to excellence continues to showcase the strength and talent within our business community. Council congratulates all finalists and wishes them every success  ahead of winners being announced on 5 September 2026.

Safer Business Grant

The Northern Territory Government has launched the next evolution of the Biz Secure program with the new Safer Business grant. The Safer Business grant helps Territory businesses create safer premises, with fixed commercial premises able to access up to $10,000 and mobile businesses up to $2,500 on a 50:50 co-contribution basis. 

For the first time, both fixed and mobile businesses - like food and coffee trucks - can access funding to improve their security, with less red tape and a simpler application process. 

Backing safer businesses builds confidence, supports local jobs and strengthens the Territory economy.

Click here to read the Guidelines and General Terms and Conditions. 

Free Governance Support for Incorporated Associations

All Northern Territory incorporated associations registered under the Associations Act 2003 can now access free governance support through the Stronger Associations program.

The program helps associations strengthen governance, improve compliance with the Act, and build capability to support long-term sustainability. It is designed to help organisations remain resilient and continue delivering valuable services to Territory communities.

Click here for more information.

Marlow Lagoon Recreation Area Masterplan Consultation

We're inviting you to join the conversation about the future masterplan for Marlow Lagoon Recreation Area. Consultation is open until Wednesday 12 August 2026, for you to share your big ideas for the future of Marlow Lagoon Recreation Area. 

For more information and to provide your feedback, click below. 

Embracing Change - Adapt, Shift, Evolve

October Business Month 2026 events will be delivered to bring this theme to life in the context of small to medium businesses, with a focus on one or more of the following support themes: 

• Adapting to rapidly changing technologies. 
• Shifting market demands. 
• Evolving workplace dynamics. 

Keep your eyes out for the full program to be launched soon and for events that will be held in Palmerston, including our Palmerston Business Futures Forum. More details on the OBM events will be featured in the next edition of the newsletter. 

Darwin Festival in Goyder Square

Join us as Darwin Festival heads back to Palmerston in August for a jam-packed weekend in Goyder Square!

Family Fiesta is a free event held on Friday, 14 August from 5pm-9pm. Expect to be indulged with delicious food, entertainment, a circus, musical moments, dancing, and so much more!  Click here for more information. 

Global Rhythms is a ticketed event held on Saturday, 15 August from 5:45pm. A world class multicultural music showcase to have you up and dancing under the Palmerston stars. This event headlines The Kandola Allstarts, Gaba Gaba Bayan, Larry Gurruwiwi & Malawurr. Click here to buy your tickets. 

Do you have a great story or exciting update about a Palmerston business, or your own? We’d love to hear from you! 

Council's Economic Development team is here to support you. We want to share and celebrate the positive stories within our business community, so please reach out and let us help showcase success in future editions of this newsletter.

📩 Email us at ecodev@palmerston.nt.gov.au or call 08 8935 9922. And don't forget to check out the refreshed Invest Palmerston website on the link below.