NT Cattlemen’s Association chief Will Evans to move on after four years

The popular head of a peak NT industry body is set to move on, leaving a strong legacy for his successor.

Will Evans’ four-year term as chief executive of the NT Cattlemen’s Association will end in June, with the industry heavyweight set to announce his departure from the role at the organisation’s conference in March.

The Territory’s third-largest GDP earner, the industry is worth about $1.2bn a year to the economy.

NTCA president Henry Burke thanked Mr Evans for his service, saying his replacement would be announced next month.

“Will’s contributions to the organisation will be remembered for the principled approach

he’s taken to issues and the integrity with which he has acted on behalf of the members.

We’re grateful to him and wish him the best in his future endeavours,” said Mr Burke.

“We’ve been working with Will to carefully plan his transition from the business and have

an upcoming announcement regarding his role planned,” Mr Burke said.

Will Evans, NT Cattlemen's Association

“Until March, Will will remain in the role and then continue to provide support to the incumbent chief executive for a few months following the formal transition.”

Mr Evans joined the NTCA in 2021 and began rebuilding the organisation after the shock resignation of his predecessor Ashley Manicaros late in 2020.

He had previously spent three-and-a-half-years as chief executive of the Northern Territory Livestock Exporters’ Association, and four years working for the then Cattle Council of Australia (now Cattle Australia) in Canberra.

“It’s been a privilege to lead the NTCA for the past four years and I’m proud to say I’ll be

leaving the association with strong membership in place, a growing revenue base and a

terrific team of staff who will continue to fight on behalf of industry long after I’m gone,”

Mr Evans said.

NT Cattlemen's Association president Henry Burke pictured in March 2024.

“When you’re given the opportunity to run organisations like the NTCA, your most

important job is to safeguard the legacy of the business, and the investments made in it

by the members over many years.

“I’m proud to have been able to achieve this and am ready to hand this responsibility on.”

During his time in the role, Mr Evans led the industry through the second-year of Covid-19 and the transition out of pandemic.

He led the industry through the short-lived ban on northern Australian cattle exports to Indonesia and Malaysia in 2022 amid concerns about Australia’s Lumpy Skin Disease status raised by those governments that were later proven to be unfounded.

He also led the response when there was a botulism outbreak on board a vessel that had left Darwin Port in March 2024.

Northern Territory grazier Rod Dunbar's million acre cattle property, Nutwood Downs Station, where he is in dispute with Origin over Shale Gas exploration and access to his property.

He pursued the Commonwealth for court-sanctioned compensation for the 2011 live export ban to Indonesia and championed the sector aganst environmental groups around land clearing, and for greater supports for the sector during fire season.

During fires in late 2023 which devastated central Australia, Mr Evans praised the NT’s pastoralists as the “unsung heroes” of the Territory.

“Hundreds of station workers from dozens of properties have given tens-of-thousands of man-hours to fighting fires on pastoral and crown land across the Northern Territory,” he said.

Supporting legislative changes in the Territory late last year that gave greater certainty to developers, Mr Evans said he supported “using science in making regulatory decisions instead of caving in to those who practice fear mongering and perpetuate malicious mistruths”.

The NTCA Annual Conference and AGM is scheduled for 21 March 2025 in Darwin, prior

to which the announcement of Mr Evans’ replacement is expected.

Originally published as NT Cattlemen’s Association chief Will Evans to move on after four years