Master Builders NT boss Dave Malone announces retirement as search starts for replacement

Master Builders NT executive director Dave Malone has announced he will retire this year.

MASTER Builders NT (MBNT) is looking for a new executive director with the organisation’s current boss Dave Malone set to retire this year.

Mr Malone, who has led the peak Territory construction sector body since 2014 and previously fronted the old Territory Construction Association, said the time was right for organisational change.

He said that during his eight years with MBNT the organisation’s two signature achievements were the self-funding of economic research identifying capability and capacity and the use of the research to persuade federal government ministers that the Territory could deliver on major Defence projects without interstate input.

Advertising for the executive director’s role is expected to begin this weekend.

Preferring to discuss the role than himself, Mr Malone said the job had been a “genuinely a good fun ride”.

“It’s a great industry, you get to meet a lot of interesting people and the construction industry is made up of people who want to get stuff done,” he said.

“When you’re working with them it’s always about what’s the next project we’re going to get done. Professionally it’s rewarding and what you look for is interesting roles.”

Mr Malone was born in Darwin and has spent most of his life here despite several interstate relocations as a kid with his Defence Force dad.

An economist by training, he says Master Builders was one of the Territory’s peak industry organisations that transcends construction to play a pivotal role in growing the economy.

“To do this job you have got to be able to run a business, you have to advocate for the membership and you have to deliver services,” he said.

“You have to ask the members to renew their membership every year, which is the best feedback an organisation can receive.”

Eight staff work out of the organisation’s Winnellie office.

Master Builders executive director Dave Malone gas announced he will retire this year.

“What the organisation is looking for is someone comfortable sitting between government and business. Master Builders is a small organisation and they’re looking for someone who brings a skill the organisation can use to add to the executive director role.”

After some of the leanest years on record in 2018 and 2019, the economy is heading in the right direction.

“I always look closely at the pipeline of new construction work and already the industry has rebounded from about $1.8bn last year to $2.6bn now and we’re currently doing the modelling work that will show the future growth trajectory,” Mr Malone said.

“There’s plenty more Defence work coming without doubt but also private investors are coming back into the market post Covid.

“For us there’s always going to be ups and downs in construction. They’ve been ups and downs since they built the pyramids but the helicopter view is we’re heading into a good period.”

In retirement, Mr Malone intends to remain in Darwin.

Mr Malon’s boss, Master Builders NT President Steve Shenfield, said he would be missed.

“We’ll miss him of course. He’s been instrumental in a lot of what we’ve done but he wouldn’t want me blowing his trumpet,” Mr Shenfield said.

He said the work done to persuade the Commonwealth to use local contractors on defence projects rather than interstate crews was significant.

Acknowledgment of Master Builders’ contribution came when then Defence Minister Marise Payne announced the local participation opportunities in Darwin.

Mr Shenfield is also proud of the work MBNT and other local organisations did to persuade the Territory Government to introduce the Build Bonus housing assistance package.

“We need to find the right person,” Mr Shenfield said.

“It’s a pretty hands on sort of a role. We’re only a small business as all organisations are and a person needs to be a little bit multi-disciplined. The person doesn’t have to be from the construction industry because we have the team here to provide back-up.

“It’s about maintaining relationships and building on the relationships we already have.

“There is a lot of work in the policy space about things that affect the Territory. We pride ourselves putting the Territory first and everything we do is focused around the benefits for the Territory, not just necessarily the construction industry. Mind you, the construction sector is a significant proportion of the Territory economy.”