DMBG | New Board Appointments
September 4, 2025
Darwin Major Business Group Ltd (DMBG) is pleased to announce its new Board of Directors, confirmed at the 2025 Annual General Meeting.
Our Board brings together leaders from across the Northern Territory’s major industries — construction, resources, retail, hospitality, aquaculture and property — all with a shared commitment to growing the Territory economy.
2025 DMBG Board of Directors
Steve Margetic (Chair) – Director, Margetic Sitzler. A long-standing Territory business leader with deep experience in construction and infrastructure.
Sam Jeffries (Deputy Chair) – General Manager, CGH CoreStaff. A respected recruitment and workforce industry leader supporting major NT projects.
Elysia Billingham – General Manager, Sentinel Property Group – Casuarina Square. Leading one of Darwin’s key retail and commercial precincts.
Vicki-Leigh Lettice – Franchisee, VIGR McDonald’s. A Territory business owner contributing to jobs, training, and community investment.
Kamal Ali – CEO, Kolsen Group. A Northern Territory-owned company delivering integrated services across facilities, security, and infrastructure.
Rob Porter – Executive General Manager, Airport Development Group NT. Driving the Territory’s aviation and logistics gateway through Darwin, Alice Springs, and Tennant Creek airports.
Dan Richards – CEO, Humpty Doo Barramundi. Building Australia’s largest barramundi farm and a flagship Territory aquaculture enterprise.
Peter Savoff – General Manager, Darwin Convention Centre. Bringing world-class business events to the Top End and supporting Darwin’s visitor economy.
Together, this Board will guide DMBG in its mission: driving investment, creating jobs, and strengthening the Northern Territory’s economy.
We sincerely thank outgoing Director
Michael Sitzler for his service and contribution as Treasurer, particularly through a period of significant growth and major initiatives for the Group.
This week’s NT News business pages carried a quietly important signal for the Northern Territory economy. A new advanced glass manufacturing facility has opened at East Arm. At first glance, it might seem like just another industrial investment. In reality, it represents something the Territory needs much more of: private capital choosing to build capability here. The Northern Territory economy has always depended on investment cycles. Major projects arrive, activity surges, and then the momentum fades as the project moves into operations or winds down. The challenge for the Territory has been turning those cycles into something more durable, a broader private sector that continues generating value long after the initial investment. That is why new private investment matters so much. It does more than create jobs during construction or expansion. It builds capability, attracts skills and deepens the local supplier base. Over time, it helps create a more resilient economy, one that is not solely dependent on government expenditure or the next major project. There is another structural reason why investments like the East Arm facility are important. Economists often talk about “economic leakage” in smaller regional economies. In simple terms, this is the share of economic activity that flows out of the region because key goods, services or specialist capabilities do not exist locally. The Territory experiences this more than most parts of Australia. When large projects are built here, significant parts of the supply chain frequently occur elsewhere. Specialist fabrication may take place in Adelaide or Brisbane. Technical services may be sourced from Perth. Materials and components are often manufactured in southern states and then shipped north. The new advanced glass manufacturing facility is happening in the Territory, but large parts of the value chain occur somewhere else. No regional economy can produce everything locally, and that is not the objective. But when key capabilities are missing, the Territory captures only a portion of the economic multiplier that major investment should generate. This is where targeted private investment can make a meaningful difference. When a new manufacturing, logistics or services capability is established locally, it does more than fill a gap, it anchors activity. Once that capability exists, other businesses begin to cluster around it: installers, contractors, logistics providers, engineering services and maintenance specialists. Over time this creates something the Territory has long needed, a deeper industrial ecosystem and we are beginning to see signs of this broader investment story emerging. The Middle Arm Industrial Precinct is being planned as a platform for future energy, minerals processing and advanced manufacturing projects. Major resource developments in critical minerals and the Beetaloo Basin are progressing through financing and development stages. The development of the shiplift and marine industry precinct at East Arm is intended to create a nationally significant maritime services hub. Private capital is also moving in other sectors, for example tourism operators are investing in new experiences and acquisitions as international visitation continues to recover. Logistics and port infrastructure are expanding as northern trade volumes grow. Taken together, these investments point to a Territory economy that has genuine growth opportunities ahead of it. But private investors make decisions based on confidence and clarity. They need to know that projects can move through approvals in a predictable timeframe and that development-ready land and infrastructure is available. They need a workforce that can be attracted and retained, and they need a policy environment that signals the Territory welcomes responsible investment. None of this requires lowering standards. Environmental protection, strong Indigenous partnerships and community expectations are all part of modern investment frameworks and investors increasingly expect those standards to be clear and consistent. What matters most is certainty. The Territory’s economic future will not be built by government spending alone. Public investment can create the platform through infrastructure, planning frameworks, strategic precincts, but it is private capital that ultimately drives job creation, innovation and long-term economic depth. The East Arm manufacturing investment is a reminder of what that looks like in practice as it shows that when the conditions are right, businesses are prepared to invest in the Territory, build capability here and grow alongside the local economy. If the Territory can continue to attract new industries, deepen supply chains and retain more of the value created by major projects, the long-standing challenge of economic leakage begins to shift. It will mean more capability stays here, more businesses grow here and more Territorians build careers here. It will mean that more of the economic value generated in the Northern Territory remains in the Northern Territory. And that is how regional economies become stronger over time.
Recent reporting has highlighted that permanent Australian Army numbers in Darwin have declined over the past decade, even as Australia’s overall defence workforce grows. This is not simply a personnel story. It is an economic ecosystem story. The Northern Territory carries increasing strategic weight in Australia’s national security architecture. The rotation of US Marines, deepening Indo-Pacific partnerships and sustained investment in northern infrastructure all reinforce that reality. But strategy alone does not determine footprint. Defence workforce distribution follows function, infrastructure, industrial ecosystems and family confidence. Where there is housing supply, schooling certainty, spousal employment opportunity and a capable local industry base, retention strengthens. Where those settings lag, numbers drift. The Territory also faces a structural reality: distance from extended family and established support networks can weigh heavily in relocation decisions for defence families. That is not a criticism of place, it is geography. Which means the response cannot be rhetorical. It must be practical. The liveability dividend must be visible and compelling: strong schools, accessible healthcare, employment pathways for partners, efficient freight and logistics systems, housing supply certainty, and a vibrant industrial base that signals long-term economic confidence. Defence presence in the Territory is not only a strategic asset; it is an economic stabiliser. It underpins population confidence, supports local business capability, drives construction and infrastructure pipelines, and strengthens supply chain depth across rail, transport and port operations, logistics corridors, industrial precincts and advanced capability sectors. If the north is expected to carry greater strategic responsibility, then the economic settings must match that responsibility. This is shared work. The Commonwealth shapes posture and long-term basing clarity. The Territory shapes planning, services and liveability. Industry must ensure meaningful employment pathways and a competitive local defence supply chain capable of supporting sustained operations. The establishment of the Northern Territory Defence Industry Council reflects recognition that alignment across these settings matters. Long-term defence presence depends not only on capability decisions, but on housing pipelines, workforce ecosystems, logistics and freight efficiency, and a resilient industrial base. Darwin has demonstrated repeatedly over decades that when government and business align around clear economic outcomes, momentum follows. As we approach NT Defence Week , the conversation should extend beyond how many personnel are posted north to how we strengthen the economic architecture that sustains them. Strategic intent without economic depth will always struggle to hold. And economic depth does not emerge slowly or accidentally. It is built deliberately, through infrastructure sequencing, housing delivery, workforce incentives, industrial capability investment and clear signals of long-term confidence. Decisions in principle are not enough. In a competitive national environment, capital, capability and people follow certainty and pace. If the north is to remain indispensable in Australia’s defence posture, then delivery must keep pace with intent. That is how footprint follows function and how strategy becomes sustained economic strength. Defence footprint supports population. Population supports services. Services support private investment. Private investment supports defence retention. The opportunity is in front of us. The question now is how quickly we are prepared to move - together.
Executive summary Darwin Major Business Group (DMBG) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the NT Government workforce consultation. Workforce availability, skills capability and population attraction are now structural determinants of the Northern Territory’s economic performance. Across multiple industries, employers are willing to invest, expand and employ, but are constrained by persistent labour shortages, skills gaps and barriers to participation. This submission highlights four priorities: The scale and breadth of workforce challenges facing Territory industries The barriers limiting workforce participation and training effectiveness The need for a trusted, industry-aligned education and training system, including strong quality assurance and certification integrity A coordinated strategy to attract and retain people in Darwin as a place to build a career and a life DMBG’s perspective is grounded in the experience of major employers responsible for delivering jobs, infrastructure and economic activity across the Territory. About Darwin Major Business Group Darwin Major Business Group represents a cross-section of major employers operating across the Northern Territory economy, including construction, resources, tourism and hospitality, transport and logistics, defence support industries, property, professional services and critical infrastructure. Our members are large employers, investors and operators with direct experience of workforce shortages, skills constraints and training system challenges. This submission reflects practical, employer-led insights into what is required to build a sustainable and competitive Territory workforce. 1. Workforce needs and challenges across industries Workforce availability remains the single most significant constraint on business growth across the Northern Territory. Key challenges identified by DMBG members include: Persistent skills shortages across construction trades, engineering, health, hospitality, aviation, logistics, defence support services and professional roles A limited local labour pool, particularly for skilled and mid-career positions High workforce churn linked to housing availability, cost-of-living pressures and family support considerations Seasonal employment patterns that complicate workforce retention and long-term skills development Project timing and delivery risk, where workforce uncertainty delays or constrains public and private investment These challenges are no longer cyclical. They represent a structural risk to the Territory’s capacity to deliver infrastructure, attract investment and grow private-sector employment. 2. Barriers to workforce participation and training Barriers to workforce participation and training are interconnected and require coordinated responses. DMBG members identify the following as key constraints: Housing availability and affordability, limiting the ability to attract and retain workers, particularly families and mid-career professionals The cost and accessibility of training, including travel, accommodation and time away from work, especially for regional and remote participants Fragmented training pathways, with inconsistent alignment between employer needs, training delivery and qualifications Insufficient wrap-around supports for some cohorts, including childcare, transport and mentoring, to translate training into sustained employment Skilled migration and labour mobility processes that are often complex and misaligned with business project timeframes Addressing participation barriers requires alignment across workforce, housing, education, migration and infrastructure policy settings. 3. Skills and training systems that support local jobs DMBG supports a workforce system that prioritises local employment outcomes while recognising the ongoing role of migration and labour mobility in supporting the Territory economy. An effective skills and training system should include: Employer-led training design aligned to real job requirements Strong partnerships between industry, government and training providers Flexible delivery models that allow people to upskill while remaining in work Clear pathways from education and training into employment Long-term workforce planning aligned to infrastructure pipelines and economic priorities The role of CDU and VET / TAFE Training Organisations A capable and trusted education and training system is foundational to workforce development in the Northern Territory. DMBG believes a strong, stable and industry-aligned Charles Darwin University (CDU), as a dual-sector university, is critical to delivering higher education, vocational education and training, applied research and professional skills that support the Territory’s economic priorities. Employers rely on CDU to produce job-ready graduates across both tertiary and vocational pathways and to partner with industry in addressing emerging workforce needs. DMBG also recognises that employer confidence depends on the integrity of training delivery and certification processes across all providers. Recent reporting regarding certification issues affecting a cohort of apprentices has reinforced the importance of robust quality assurance, clear communication, and efficient remediation pathways to minimise disruption for students and employers. Similarly, high-quality VET and TAFE training organisations play a vital role in meeting demand for trades, technicians and operational roles across the Territory economy. Consistency of delivery, instructional capability and alignment with employer demand are central to ensuring training translates into employment outcomes. DMBG supports training providers that are: Well-governed, adequately resourced and industry-connected Equipped with current, capable trainers and assessors Focused on employment outcomes, not just enrolments Committed to strong certification and records assurance, including prompt rectification when issues arise Willing to collaborate across the tertiary and vocational system to address gaps and avoid duplication DMBG encourages continued strengthening of system assurance settings that protect students, employers and the standing of Territory qualifications, including clear certification processes and timely issuance requirements. 4. Workforce attraction and retention - positioning Darwin and the Territory Addressing workforce shortages also requires a compelling proposition that attracts people to Darwin and supports long-term retention. Darwin offers a unique combination of economic opportunity, lifestyle and career acceleration that aligns strongly with the NT Government’s population growth and economic development objectives. DMBG believes workforce attraction strategies should emphasise: A clear “land of opportunity” narrative, where ambition and capability translate into responsibility and advancement more quickly than in larger cities Career visibility and leadership opportunity, allowing individuals to make an impact and grow into influential roles Lifestyle advantages, including reduced commuting, access to the outdoors and strong community connection Housing and relocation incentives, including grants, build incentives and targeted assistance that support relocation and settlement Whole-of-family attraction, recognising the importance of schools, health services, childcare and employment opportunities for partners Darwin cannot compete with larger cities on scale, but it can compete on opportunity, lifestyle and the chance to succeed. A coordinated, whole-of-government and industry approach to attraction and retention will strengthen workforce supply, support population growth and reinforce confidence in the Territory’s long-term economic future. Closing comments The Northern Territory’s economic potential is widely recognised, but realising that potential depends on having the right people, with the right skills, in the right place. DMBG encourages continued engagement with employers and industry groups to ensure workforce policies are practical, responsive and aligned with the realities of doing business in the Territory. We welcome the opportunity to contribute further as workforce reforms progress.