Northern Territory industry bodies look for new heads

A leading building organisation is looking for a new chief executive as change hits Territory industry groups.

Master Builders Northern Territory is on the lookout for a new chief executive after the departure of Ben Carter earlier this month.

Mr Carter, who led the peak building industry body for two years after the retirement of David Malone, returned to southern Australia to be closer to family.

Last October, Mr Carter fronted the release of an ACIL Allen report for Master Builders that identified Defence would spend $6.23bn in the Territory over the next four years and add 7640 jobs at its investment peak.

Mr Carter had also campaigned strongly for additional residential construction across the Territory to meet an anticipated housing shortfall.

Tom Dawkins, CEO, NT Livestock Exporters Association

NT Live Exporters Association will also move shortly to find a replacement for current chief executive officer Tom Dawkins, who has been on leave since November and is currently living in South Australia.

Mr Dawkins’ was the second departure from NTLEA after chairman Ken Vowles also departed.

NTLEA president Patrick Underwood said a search would begin shortly for Mr Dawkins’ replacement once his departure from the peak body had been finalised.

He said the organisation had continued to represent its members during Mr Dawkins’ absence including in the aftermath of the Brahman Express botulism outbreak in February.

He said while the emerging buffalo export industry had been hit by low prices, Territory cattle exports had increased up to 50 per cent this year as the market recovered.

“From a trade perspective we’ve loaded three ships with cattle in the last six days,” Mr Underwood said.

“From a working perspective with the Northern Territory government, the Australian government, the Department and the logistics with export yards, the trade’s probably as healthy as its been for four or five years.”

Former tourism boss Glen Hingley is now with Chamber of Commerce. Picture: Glenn Campbell.

In another move, former Tourism Top End general manager Glen Hingley returned last month to the private sector after a brief stint with NT Major Events, to take up a position with the Chamber of Commerce.

Mr Hingley will undertake a number of duties with the Chamber including industry relations, policy and advocacy, business sustainability and event management.
Earlier this year, long-time NT Seafood Council chief executive Katherine Winchester stepped aside and was replaced by Daniel Capps.

Peak organisations and their representatives liase with their industry, government and key stakeholders to deliver outcomes for businesses and business operators that would lack the muscle to represent themselves individually.

Long-term peak body heads in the Territory include Property Council NT’s Ruth Palmer, NT Chamber of Commerce’s Greg Ireland, Hospitality NT’s Alex Bruce, Housing Industry Association’s Luis Espinoza, NT Cattlemen Association’s Will Evans and Tourism Central Australia’s Danial Rochford.

Relatively new appointees include Top End Tourism’s Samantha Bennett, Automobile Association NT’s Simon Matthias, Darwin City Retailers Association’s Molly Upstill and NT Farmers’ Association Greg Troughton.

Originally published as Northern Territory industry bodies look for new heads