Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis now chair of Regional Development Australia NT committee

Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis has taken up his latest post as the chair of a nationally recognised committee aimed at driving economic growth in the Northern Territory.

Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis has taken up his latest post as the chair of the Regional Development Australia Northern Territory (RDA NT) committee. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis has taken up a role as chair of the Regional Development Australia Northern Territory (RDA NT) committee.

The local group works to drive economic growth and environmental sustainability in the NT.

Mr Vatskalis’ appointment was revealed in an RDA NT media release on March 13, with his term as chair scheduled to begin on April 1.

RDA NT is one of 50 RDA committees supported by the Australian government’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

Each committee is aimed at creating a vibrant, inclusive, and thriving region for residents and stakeholders, according to the official RDA charter.

Drew Wagner has served as chair since 2021. Picture: Supplied

Mr Vatskalis succeeds Drew Wagner, who has chaired the committee since January 2021.

Wagner’s leadership “helped strengthen collaboration across government, business, and community sectors, leaving a positive impact on the organisation and the region,” according to the release.

It is not clear why Mr Wagner’s tenure is ending.

The outgoing chair congratulated Mr Vatskalis in the comments of an RDA NT LinkedIn post announcing the news.

“Congratulations Kon, I am sure that the RDA NT will continue to go from strength to strength under your guidance – and thank you for the outgoing kind words,” he said.

Mr Vatskalis said he looked forward to taking on the role. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Mr Vatskalis, who has been mayor of Darwin since 2017, said he looked forward to enhancing the Territory’s liveability and sustainability in his new role.

“I am honoured to take on this role and look forward to working closely with the committee, stakeholders, and the broader community to drive opportunities for growth and resilience in the Northern Territory,” he said.

Mr Vatskalis said he was honoured to be appointed. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“RDA NT plays an important role in supporting regional industries, workforce, and infrastructure, and I am committed to ensuring it continues to create a strong and sustainable future.”

Federal Minister for Regional Development, Kirsty McBain, said it was an exciting time for “new and returning RDA chairs”.

“With more than $117 million from the Australian Government set to flow across all of the RDA committees over the next five years, it is an exciting time for the new and returning chairs, as they’ll have the opportunity to work with their members to set the future agendas for their RDAs.

“We recognise the importance of local leaders supporting our work to Build Australia’s Future, which is why I look forward to working with RDAs into the future.”

Originally published as Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis now chair of Regional Development Australia NT committee