OpEd | Skills shortages aren’t just a workforce problem - they’re an economic one
February 4, 2026

Across the Northern Territory, skills shortages are no longer an occasional inconvenience for employers. They are now a structural economic problem – and one that is quietly holding the Territory back.


Latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows more than 5,000 unfilled positions in the NT, with approximately 85 per cent of those vacancies in the private sector. This represents lost output, delayed projects and unrealised economic potential.


At the same time, the Federal Government, through Jobs and Skills Australia, is examining how Australia’s skills system should evolve, including how skills are developed, recognised and matched to the needs of the economy.


For the Northern Territory, this discussion is critical.


Regions ultimately succeed or struggle based on whether they have enough people to do the work and the right skills to remain competitive. When workforce settings are aligned with economic needs, productivity improves, investment follows and living standards rise. When they are not, growth stalls.


Across construction, health, education, hospitality, professional services and the trades, NT businesses report the same challenges. Projects are delayed. Growth plans are postponed. Costs increase as employers compete for scarce skills or rely on overtime, contractors and short-term fixes simply to stay operational.


In a small economy, these effects compound quickly.


Skills shortages also have broader consequences. They place sustained pressure on existing workers, driving burnout and higher turnover. Wage growth can outpace productivity, contributing to inflation and higher prices. Service quality declines, and communities feel the impact.


This challenge is intensifying nationally. As baby boomers retire in large numbers, all regions of Australia are adjusting to major labour market change. For the NT, with its smaller and more mobile workforce, the effects are more immediate and more pronounced.


Migration has always been central to the Territory’s workforce and economic development. The NT’s vibrant multicultural community is not just a social strength, it is an economic one. Skilled migrants support essential services, enable businesses to operate and contribute directly to productivity and population stability.


However, migration settings must work for regional economies. Pathways that are slow, uncertain or overly complex undermine the very benefits migration is intended to deliver, particularly for small and medium-sized employers.


Importantly, this is no longer simply a matter of filling vacancies. Whole economies are now competing for labour.


When regions get their settings right, the benefits extend well beyond business. Stronger economies deliver higher living standards, and the taxes raised help fund health, education and other community services. Get the settings wrong, and it becomes an exercise in frustration, plenty of effort, but little progress.


Business owners and managers must play an active role in shaping future workforce policy. Those at the coalface understand what skills are needed, where systems fail and what incentives actually work. Policymakers need that input if reforms are to succeed.


DMBG believes the Northern Territory offers Australians career opportunities and lifestyle benefits that few regions can match. But belief alone is not enough. We must tell that story clearly, reduce barriers and be prepared to compete hard for talent.


The future prosperity of the Territory – and the wellbeing of its communities – depends on getting this right.

MEDIA STATEMENT | DMBG welcomes the return of international Test cricket as a major win for the Territory economy

February 2, 2026
The Darwin Major Business Group (DMBG) has welcomed the announcement by the NT Government that international Test cricket will return to the Northern Territory in 2026, describing it as a significant boost for business confidence, visitation, and economic activity across the Top End. The Test match, along with a multi-year schedule of international fixtures, reinforces Darwin’s growing reputation as a capable and competitive host of world-class sporting and business events. A DMBG spokesperson said securing a major international Test match was about far more than sport. “Events of this scale deliver immediate economic benefits for accommodation providers, hospitality venues, transport operators and retailers, while also strengthening Darwin’s national and international profile as a destination to do business, invest and visit,” the spokesperson said. “From a business perspective, major events are proven economic stimulators. They fill hotel rooms, support jobs, and inject confidence into the local economy.” DMBG noted the Test match announcement builds on a strong pipeline of major events delivered, including: The successful return of international T20 cricket, generating millions in economic activity The MXGP of Australia , which brought global exposure and strong visitation outcomes Continued support for the Supercars , a cornerstone event for Darwin’s dry-season economy High-profile sporting and entertainment events that help position Darwin as a year-round events destination. “What business wants to see is consistency and follow-through,” the spokesperson said. “This announcement signals growing confidence in the Territory’s ability to host complex, high-value events that deliver real returns for the economy.” DMBG also highlighted the broader opportunities that flow from major sporting events, including corporate travel, business delegation visits, and the ability to attract conferences, incentives and business events alongside headline fixtures. “When major events are leveraged well, they create a halo effect - encouraging repeat visitation, future investment and new business activity,” the spokesperson said. “That’s where the long-term economic dividend lies.” The DMBG congratulates the Northern Territory Government, event partners and sporting bodies involved, and encourages continued collaboration with the private sector to maximise the commercial and economic benefits of major events for Territorians.

Strong employment reinforces the case for policy certainty and investment confidence

January 27, 2026
Drawn from analysis by local economist Dave Malone The latest employment data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) confirms that labour market conditions remain strong nationally and in the Northern Territory. Across Australia: Unemployment sits at 4.1% Total employment rose to 14.68 million, up 0.4% on November and 1.1% over the year Hours worked increased to 2.001 billion, up 8 million hours month-on-month and 1% year-on-year. This level of labour market strength reinforces a key message for policymakers: the economy continues to operate with underlying momentum. With inflation still outside the Reserve Bank of Australia target range, and employment demand remaining firm, the scope for stimulatory policy settings is narrowing. From an industry and business perspective, this underscores the importance of policy certainty, disciplined fiscal settings and a clear pipeline of investable projects, particularly those that unlock private capital rather than crowd it out. Northern Territory implications In the NT, employment rose to 147,100, a 1.4% increase in a single month. Only Western Australia recorded stronger monthly growth. Unemployment fell to 3.9%, reinforcing that labour demand remains robust despite broader cost pressures. While the DMBG cautions against drawing firm conclusions from a single month of Territory data, given its volatility, this result is a positive signal following a relatively subdued employment year in 2025. For the Territory, sustained employment growth will depend on: Continued investment certainty Timely delivery of enabling infrastructure Workforce settings that support business growth rather than constrain it Strong labour market outcomes are not accidental. They are the product of confidence, capital deployment and policy settings that encourage businesses to invest, employ and expand.

OpEd | Making the quiet case for Territory economic growth

January 12, 2026
This DMBG opinion piece was published in the NT News on 12 January 2026. Strip away the labels and the Darwin Major Business Group (DMBG) exists for one reason: economic growth in the Northern Territory. The DMBG was established in 2017, at a time when the Territory was confronting familiar challenges: weak private investment, stagnant population growth, rising costs of doing business, and a persistent gap between economic ambition and delivery. Its formation reflected a view shared by senior business leaders that the Territory needed a small, disciplined, business-led forum focused squarely on economic growth; not politics, not ideology, and not daily commentary. DMBG exists to advocate for policies and decisions that support sustainable economic growth in the Territory. Growth that creates jobs, attracts investment, improves productivity and strengthens the Territory’s long-term financial position, the fundamentals. That growth is expected to occur within the community’s normal standards for environmental responsibility and social progress, because long-term economic success depends on both. The Group is deliberately small. Membership is by invitation, with an expectation that members contribute time, experience and strategic insight. Members include locally headquartered companies and national firms with a substantial, long-term operating presence in the Territory. The common thread is commitment to the NT economy, not corporate scale. That distinction matters. The Northern Territory has always relied on external capital. From pastoral expansion, to mining, to defence and major infrastructure, the Territory’s economic progress has depended on investment decisions made well beyond our borders. The question has never been whether outside capital should be involved. The real question is whether the Territory positions itself well enough to attract it, retain it, and convert it into lasting benefit for all Territorians. That task is made harder by the gap between national rhetoric and national action. There is constant talk about the strategic importance of Northern Australia and the Northern Territory in particular. What is missing is Commonwealth funding and policy settings that reflect that rhetoric. Strategy papers do not build roads, deliver housing, reduce freight costs or unlock private investment. The same pattern applies to structural reform. Proposals such as special tax or investment zones for Northern Australia surface regularly, are acknowledged as sensible responses to higher costs, and then quietly shelved. If the Northern Territory is genuinely regarded as nationally strategic, it should not be expected to compete on the same settings as lower-cost, better-serviced jurisdictions. That is where the DMBG focuses its effort. The Group does not campaign on day-to-day political issues. It does not exist to generate headlines. Much of its work happens quietly: economic analysis, policy submissions, briefings with government, and direct engagement with decision-makers, often before an issue reaches public debate. Since its establishment, the Group has consistently focused on core economic enablers: infrastructure investment, efficient and predictable regulation, competitive freight and logistics, workforce availability, energy security and policy stability. These issues rarely attract applause, but they determine whether projects proceed, stall or walk away. The DMBG does not claim to speak for all business, nor does it try to. Its purpose is simpler, and harder: to speak plainly about economic challenges and consequences, even when that message is uncomfortable. Talking up the Territory is easy; funding it, reforming it and backing it properly is harder and that is the gap that still needs closing.