Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis confirms re-election bid ahead of Northern Territory local government elections in August

Darwin’s Lord Mayor has confirmed his intention to seek re-election for one last time at the Northern Territory’s council elections next month, pledging to “finish the job” before handing over the mantle. Read the details.

Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis will seek a third and final term at the Northern Territory’s local government elections on August 23. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis will seek a third and final term at the Northern Territory’s local government elections on August 23, with the long-time politician hoping to “finish the job” before handing over the mantle.

Mr Vatskalis, who took on the role of Lord Mayor in 2017 before being re-elected in 2021, reconfirmed his bid to the NT News on Wednesday.

“I don’t want to just walk away halfway through,” he said.

“There are more trees to plant in Darwin ... I want to upgrade the childcare in Casuarina, and I want to put a childcare in Karama because there isn’t one there now.

“I want to see the new civic centre finished, and there are quite a few ovals that need to be upgraded and have lights put in place so we can increase the hours that people can play.”

Mr Vatskalis has been in Territory politics for decades. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

The 68-year-old said he hoped the next council would have a “good mix of both old and young people”.

“I always hope that we have new blood in the council,” he said.

“Young people have got the vitality and new ideas; the old people have got the experience.”

He shared that “some people” within the council wouldn’t be standing for re-election, which would open the door for more fresh faces to put their hand up.

In 2021, Mr Vatskalis became the first Lord Mayor to win re-election in nearly two decades, winning in a landslide by securing 16,852 first preference votes of the 30,668 ballots cast in Darwin.

He said he hoped for similar success this time around.

“I’m putting my hand up because I want to win it,” he said.

“Look at what we’ve done in the past eight years; we’ve done a lot, including saving a lot of local and small business in really tough times with the myDarwin vouchers.

“I love the city, and I believe the city is one of the best in Australia; we can do even better.

“I’m known, and I’ve always been known, that I can get the job done.”

Originally published as Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis confirms re-election bid ahead of Northern Territory local government elections in August