NT’s 120 Most Powerful people for 2022
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has earned a spot on the countdown in his own right for 2022 after federal Labor was number 77 on the 2021 list ahead of the election. Follow the countdown from 80-61.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The NT’s Most Powerful people wield considerable power and influence, whether they’re in politics, business, sport or entertainment.
Those who have made the list in years past face a challenge to keep their position – or move up.
Others fall.
Today we reveal the people who made the NT’s Most Powerful list, from 80 to 61.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese comes in at number 76 after leading Labor to a rare win at last year’s federal election while Michael Hannon Sr, who heads up the Darwin Major Business Group, comes in at number 73.
Hannon Sr is rarely heard from publicly, demonstrating the silent leaders still have plenty of power in the NT.
EXCLUSIVE TOP 10 LISTS
– NT’s top 10 most powerful real estate agents revealed for 2022
– NT’s top 10 most powerful sportspeople revealed for 2022
– NT’s top 10 most powerful advocates revealed for 2022
– NT’s top 10 most powerful social influencers revealed for 2022
– NT’s top 10 most powerful business people revealed for 2022
Follow the countdown from 80-61
80. Fossil Free Arts
Climate activist group Fossil Free Arts was not shy about throwing its weight around in 2022, with its advocacy leading to energy giant Santos pulling its $100,000 a year annual sponsorship of the Darwin Festival, ending a two decade long relationship.
The plan backfired somewhat when an offer to make up the shortfall from philanthropists was knocked back by the festival’s board in December.
But while the board assured festival goers it would be just fine without the philanthropist’s cash, FFA is unlikely to let the issue slide in 2023 and will no doubt be keen to capitalise on its previous success.
When the festival deal fell through, FFA spokeswoman Anna Weekes said the board had missed an opportunity “to bring the event in line with community values” and “guarantee(d) the event will continue to be mired in controversy”.
Watch this space.
79. Joel Bowden
Had Michael Gunner taken Labor to the 2024 election and resigned sometime after, the Member for Johnson would have been a front-runner to fill the party’s leadership spot.
But the former chief minister’s surprise resignation in May limited the leadership race to experienced campaigners like Natasha Fyles and Nicole Manison and pulled the rug from up-and-comers like Bowden.
This is despite the NT News having him at 3/1 odds.
Undeterred, he memorably refused to rule out contesting the leadership when pursued on camera by a dogged Nine News reporter and that ill-judged moment may have damaged his future leadership aspirations.
It may also have cost him a spot in the ministry and he’s currently government whip.
78. Rallen
Backed by one of South Africa’s richest men, Giovanni Ravazzotti, Rallen Australia has substantial pastoral holdings in the Territory.
Running approximately 70,000 head of cattle over 1.1 million hectares, Rallen has Tanumbirini, Kalala, Big River, Larizone, Mt McMinn and Forrest Hill stations.
As well as the four-legged variety, Rallen has a major beef with fracking and is one of the leading campaigners against unconventional extraction.
Santos agreed to pay the pastoral company $400,000 after it challenged its failure to consult the expansion of a fracking operation and it also took Tamboran Resources subsidiary Sweatpea Petroleum to court over its fracking ambitions.
The company believes fracking and beef farming can’t mix – although there other pastoralists take a different view.
The company’s Australian operation is led by Ravazzotti’s son-in-law Pierre Langenhoven.
77. Halikos
Halikos is arguably the company with the largest business footprint across the Territory with fingers in many business pies across hospitality, real estate, construction supplies and manufacturing.
The extent of their reach is surprising.
Solis Real Estate, which recently opened out of the Charles Darwin Centre in Smith St, is a Halikos company, as is NT Fastners, Steeline GRP, Lizards Sports Bar and Crab Claw Island Resort.
Halikos Roofing is another arm of the Group, which would come in handy for development of suburban Northcrest at the old Berrimah Farm.
H on Smith Street, 105 Mitchell Street and the Akoya development in Fannie Bay are all Halikos projects.
One of their 2022 flagship project’s is the new Nightcliff Police Station – probably the Territory’s largest – and more activity is anticipated for Charles Darwin University’s CBD campus, which is expected to open next year.
No project is too big or small for the company that is in the process of renovating The Frontier Hotel, one of Darwin’s oldest pubs.
John Halikos and Shane Dignan, the two main players behind the company, appear to have weathered the disappointment of last year’s loss in its legal action against Inpex over construction of H105.
76. Anthony Albanese
Voters protested in the United States and Brazil when their respective conservative leaders lost elections.
Nobody’s protested for Scott Morrison.
Albanese wore the slings and arrows of a brutal election campaign to post a rare Labor win federally and has delivered most of his election promises and a bit more on top.
Territory-wise, the federal government has held the line in its bi-partisan support for development of gas reserves at the Beetaloo Basin.
It has contributed $1.5bn to preparing Middle Arm as an energy hub and an additional billion for regional logistics hubs, roads and an Aboriginal art gallery in Alice Springs, which has been well received.
75. Michael Long
There are few bigger Territory names in AFL football than Long, more than two decades after his retirement from the game at the highest level.
The opinions and philosophies of the two-time Essendon premiership player carries as much clout as anybody’s up north, whether it be a sporting, social or Indigenous issues.
Long, whose individual career began at St Mary’s in the mid-1980s, was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 2007 and was granted Legend status three years later.
However, post-retirement he has dedicated his time to improving the lives of First Nations people through his annual Long Walk.
It started, unofficially, in 2004 when he made the trek from Melbourne to Parliament House to draw attention to the plight of Indigenous people.
Long’s social legacy was strengthened further in early 2015 with the opening of the Michael Long Learning and Leadership Centre, while his foundation continues to make a difference.
74. Malarndirri McCarthy
Last year was a big one for the Territory’s three-term Senator.
After six years parked on the opposition benches, McCarthy is finally enjoying the fruits of government.
On a personal level, she married long-time partner Richard Bryant.
With her finger on the pulse of life in the Territory’s communities, she has an opportunity to bring about significant policy benefits for Aboriginal people right across the NT.
Clearly these are needed, particularly in Wadeye which has seen unlimited strife over the past year and is in desperate need of change.
Federal Labor has an opportunity to improve conditions for Aboriginal people – here’s hoping they don’t waste it.
McCarthy bucked the Covid trend by speaking against mandatory Covid vaccinations, preferring incentives.
73. Michael Hannon Sr
The Hannon Group has been operating in the Territory since 1945, making it arguably the oldest Territory business.
The company sold Buslink in 2018 after 30 years and was also responsible for rubbish collection across the Top End.
More recently, Hannon has been fighting the good fight as head of Darwin Major Business Group, which was established in 2017 by a band of business operators who want to see the Territory economy reach its full potential.
Rarely heard from publicly, he still commands respect from his peers in business and politicians who are more than happy to defer to his years of experience.
72. Tony Crowe
While the NTFL is king during the wet, it’s the NRL that dominates the Territory sporting scene in the dry season.
Crowe took up the NRLNT mantle ahead of the 2022 season with a clear vision to grow the sport across the Territory.
Crowe has an incredible background in the sport with over 30 years’ experience at community rugby league level.
He came to the Territory on the back of a seven-year stint at NRL WA where he was the operations manager and oversaw a variety of initiatives and competitions.
And in his first season in the NT he’s already pushed the competition to new heights driving clubs to increase participation in the league.
Growth at junior level and in the women’s comps is the most important for the sport to survive but with a strong and well-establish league community Crowe has plenty to work with.
71. Will Evans
Evans was a hero to many last Christmas when he personally delivered Covid-19 rapid antigen tests to cattle farmers along the Stuart Hwy amid opening borders in the wind down to Australia’s pandemic response.
With the industry still as vital as ever to the Northern Territory’s success, it’s that kind of dedication that will continue to serve the Cattlemen’s Association chief executive well as he continues to steer the pillar of the NT economy.
Evans worked in policy development with the Cattle Council of Australia, based in Canberra, before moving to Darwin for a job with the Northern Territory Live Exporters Association in 2018 and took over from former NTCA boss Ashley Manicaros in 2021.
With the NTCA role a traditional stepping stone to bigger and better things, Evans could see his name rising even higher on Most Powerful lists to come if he continues to acquit himself well.
70. Leanne Liddle
Leanne Liddle continued to cement her reputation as a woman who speaks her mind in 2022, telling audiences at the Garma Festival of the structural racism that traps Indigenous Territorians in a cycle of crime and punishment.
“Judges are often faced with limited sentencing options including repeated incarceration often for short periods in a revolving door of offending and imprisonment,” she said.
The NT Australian of the Year and Aboriginal Justice Unit director’s comments drew criticism from Supreme Court judge Judith Kelly, who rejected Ms Liddle’s assessment of a legal system “handcuffed” to a broken idea of justice.
Justice Kelly slammed the speech in one of her own as containing “false claims of systemic racism”, but far from being chastened, Ms Liddle stood by her comments noting the “overwhelmingly positive feedback” she had received from others.
With no sign Ms Liddle will pull back on her advocacy in 2023, her public comments are sure to continue to provoke strong reactions.
69. Sean Bowden
The man with his finger on the pulse on all things Territory.
The esteemed lawyer and AFLNT chairman is almost unmatched in his passion for the NT and is driven in developing the bush and provide equal opportunities.
When it comes to sport he had been the major driver behind the push for a NT based AFL team.
In 2021, Bowden formed a taskforce that he co-chairs with Sport Minister Kate Worden to meet that goal but there are still significant hurdles to overcome.
Chief among those hurdles is the Territory’s need for a world class stadium to field a NT team and potentially international events.
The stadium is something Bowden has talked up time and again as he seeks to both put Darwin on the map and stimulate the Territory economy.
At a local level, participation levels in his sport are soaring to new heights, particularly in remote areas.
68. Braden Menzies
There’s no bigger name in the Top End property space than Real Estate Central.
Menzies is the man behind the name and has been a force since taking over the company.
He oversaw his firm emerge from the five-year real estate slump in Darwin to be the city’s largest company by sales turnover.
Indicative of his experience and skill in the field is the success of those he has mentored, including young gun Andrew Harding, who took over Ray White Darwin in May.
Menzies’ business is unique as an independent agency that dominates market share in an industry where the bigger brands tend to dominate sales listings.
In addition to property sales and management, Menzies’ Loan Market mortgage broking firm continues to grow in market share with the upturn in total number of property sales.
67. Gary Clarke
You would be hard pressed to find someone who has had a more successful and dominant year than this champion Darwin trainer.
Originally from Queensland, Clarke has had a lifelong affiliation with the racing industry and made an instant impact upon arrival in the Top End.
In 2022 he bagged a record-breaking 10th successive Champion Trainer title with 55 wins from 288 starters, pleasing owners and punters alike.
He was a dominant force all year, particularly during the Darwin Cup Carnival where he won both the $135,000 Palmerston Sprint with Syncline and then the $200,000 Darwin Cup with Playoffs.
And if that wasn’t enough he also finally won the Alice Springs Cup, the one major Territory trophy that had eluded him, with Count of Essex.
There’s no doubt the Clarke Racing Stables are a true family affair with wife Sharlene and daughter Ella both playing prominent roles in the continued success.
66. Kay Densley
Community and Public Sector Union secretary Kay Densley was one of several union bosses that took on the Territory government head on in 2022 over its controversial wage freeze.
Ms Densley was among those celebrating when new Chief Minister Natasha Fyles finally dropped the policy in October after CPSU members voted overwhelmingly to reject the proposal the previous month.
While the wage freeze has now been consigned to the annals of history, Ms Densley remains a fierce advocate for her members, who include hundreds of the Territory’s public servants, and will not shy away from continuing to hold the government to account in 2023.
With CPSU members making up such a large number of such a crucial voting block for Territory Labor, Ms Densley’s words are sure not to go unheeded in the corridors of power during any future industrial disputes.
65. Paul Burke
It was a milestone year for NT Farmers and its chief executive.
For the first time in its history the agricultural sector contributed more than $500m to the Territory economy for the first time in its history.
Burke took over NT Farmers just over three years ago and with his elite agribusiness background he was a natural fit.
In 2021 he was instrumental in getting overseas mango workers to the Territory and the tropical fruit remains the NT’s largest commodity sector with $128m in revenue.
Burke’s first Darwin gig was a nine-month stint fronting the NT Cattlemen’s Association followed by a year as infrastructure assets and major projects director with the old Primary Industries and Resources.
But he has found his calling at NT Farmers with the industry growing at an impressive 11.60 per cent a year.
However, the sector isn’t without its obstacles as NT Farmers continue to work with cotton despite cries against it.
64. Danzal Baker (Baker Boy)
Baker Boy takes the Northern Territory’s Indigenous culture to the national stage and took home five Aria awards this year.
Born in Darwin, Baker Boy grew up in the Arnhem Land communities of Milingimbi and Maningrida and was an original member of the Djuki Mala dance troupe.
Baker Boy is quickly gaining influence in online music communities with more than 96,300 followers on Instagram and 45,500 on TikTok.
The rising star is set to make an appearance at BASSINTHEGRASS 2023.
Baker Boy has said that he wants to be an inspiration to Indigenous kids living in remote communities, and to combat “shame”.
Many of his singles are sung in language.
63. Brett Dixon
It’s been a heck of a two years for this Darwin builder.
Eighteen months ago his reputation was on the line after a damning ICAC report into his company Jaytex Construction’s role in securing a multimillion-dollar NT government grant to build the Fannie Bay Turf Club grandstand.
Built on budget and on time, the then chief minister Michael Gunner forced Dixon and the Turf Club board to resign.
Within a year and after legal challenges by several board members including Dixon, the ICAC report was removed from the watchdog’s website.
In the process of repairing his reputation, Dixon announced in June he was selling Berrimah Corporate Park, his best-known Darwin asset, for a cool $80m to South Australia’s Southern Cross Equity.
He also bought Hidden Valley Tavern and after an extensive renovation, rebranded it Midway Tavern.
62. Danial Rochford
Central Australia has had plenty of issues to grapple with in recent years from Covid to crime, both problems that may dissuade visitors.
But the passion and drive of the Tourism Central Australia chief executive has kept Alice Springs and its surrounds on the map.
A constant advocate for his region, Rochford has managed to get Central Australia seen on national tourism ads and reality TV shows, and the visitors keep on coming.
From a tourism perspective there’s always something to see or do in the Red Centre and Rochford is at the centre of innovating the region as the place to visit.
In 2022, he played an instrumental role in making flights affordable from Alice Springs to Adelaide, an early Christmas present for his residents.
Rochford is a member of the Central Australian Economic Recovery Committee, Central Australia Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Tourism Consultative Committee of the Uluru Kata Tjuta Board of Management.
He also hasn’t been shy to have his say on crime in the Red Centre calling more than once for additional recourses to secure the streets of Alice Springs.
61. Kevin Gallagher
With Santos one of the key players in the development of the Beetaloo Basin, chief executive and managing director Kevin Gallagher’s place in this list reflects the importance of that project. Exploration and consolidation work is looking to pave the way for final investment decisions in coming years. If full production goes ahead, Beetaloo will be one of the biggest economic drivers in the Territory’s history with predictions of up to 6000 new jobs. Gallagher has been the chief since 2016. The Glasgow University-trained mechanical engineer started out as a drilling engineer with Mobil North Sea before joining Woodside in 1998, where he remained for 13 years. In early 2022 he took up a position on the board of iron ore and lithium producer Mineral Resources – a move that caused controversy on concerns it would distract him from Santos’ $21bn merge with Oil Search. Santos has also vowed to press on with the Barossa gas project despite a recent Federal Court setback.
‘See some records broken’: First medals given out as ‘Games with Heart’ kicks off
One of the biggest weeks on the Red Centre sporting calendar is underway in full force, drawing thousands of competitors – some of whom have already taken out the top prize. SEE THE PICTURES.
Fire fears as heritage-listed mural sits forgotten after $3m acquisition
A fire danger period being declared hasn’t spurred the government into action over a site it acquired for more than $3 million – leading to fears an important piece of NT heritage could be reduced to ash.