Darwin Major Business Group

An independent voice on economic development in the Northern Territory.

Darwin Major Business Group (DMBG) brings together senior business leaders to contribute informed, constructive and long-term perspectives on the Territory’s economic future.

About DMGB

Darwin Major Business Group Ltd (DMBG) is an independent, member-based organisation established to provide a considered business perspective on the Northern Territory’s economic direction.


DMBG operates as a platform for collaboration, analysis and advocacy, with a focus on long-term economic outcomes for the Northern Territory.

Key Initiatives & Partnerships

AEC Economic Report

 Independent economic analysis of the Northern Territory

Facing North

National engagement on Northern Territory opportunity

Investment Summit 2025

Delivered in partnership with the Northern Territory Government

What We Do

Economic Analysis & Insight

DMBG supports evidence-based discussion through commissioned research and economic reporting on the Northern Territory.

Advocacy & Policy Engagement

We engage constructively with governments and decision-makers to inform policy settings that support sustainable economic growth.

Convening & Dialogue

DMBG fosters informed discussion on investment, workforce and development priorities involving business, government and the community.

Latest from DMBG

Hanking Gold’s Mt Bundy investment decision signals confidence in the Territory

August 13, 2026
Final investment decisions are where economic potential starts to become real. Hanking Gold’s decision to proceed with the Mt Bundy Gold Project represents a significant vote of confidence in the Northern Territory. The company anticipates investing up to $500 million over the next 18 months, with first gold targeted for March 2028 and a minimum 17-year mine life. Importantly, Territory businesses have already secured pre-construction work, with further local opportunities expected across earthworks, civil construction, concreting and craneage. That is how major-project investment flows through the wider economy, creating contracts, jobs, skills, business capability and opportunities for regional communities. Projects of this scale require patient capital, efficient and rigorous approvals, enabling infrastructure, stable investment settings and a deliberate focus on maximising local participation. DMBG congratulates Hanking Gold and everyone involved in bringing Mt Bundy to this important milestone. The priority now is to support efficient delivery and ensure this investment produces lasting benefits for Territorians.

Energy policy ultimately has to translate into reliable power, investable projects and jobs

August 10, 2026
Rimfire Group’s proposed $80 million Hudson Creek Power Station 2 is a practical example of private-sector investment responding to the Territory’s growing energy needs. If delivered, the 25MW gas-fired project would provide dispatchable generation for the Darwin-Katherine electricity system, supporting homes, businesses and future economic development. The significance extends beyond one project. Reliable and competitively priced electricity will be essential if the Territory is to attract new industry, accommodate population growth and realise emerging opportunities in resources, defence, manufacturing and data centres. Renewable energy will play an increasingly important role. But on an isolated electricity system such as ours, dispatchable generation, and gas in particular, will remain critical to reliability and growth. This is what confidence looks like: capital committed to practical infrastructure that the Territory needs. The challenge now is to ensure our energy, gas supply, regulatory and infrastructure settings allow sound projects to proceed and deliver lasting value for Territorians.

Coordinated action needed to unlock the Territory's resources pipeline

August 6, 2026
Turning the Territory’s resources opportunity into lasting economic benefit requires coordinated Commonwealth-Northern Territory action. The Northern Territory Geological Survey’s July 2026 report is an important publication and identifies: - nine major mines operating - 16 developing projects, including two currently on hold, representing an estimated $6.2 billion in potential capital expenditure and around 3,200 construction and 2,800 operating jobs - seven further advanced projects under feasibility. Spanning rare earths, copper, lithium, gold, phosphate, tungsten, molybdenum and other commodities, this is a diverse, Territory-wide opportunity with both regional and national significance. These are pipeline estimates, not committed outcomes and not every project will proceed or warrant public support. However, where projects are economically viable and meet the necessary environmental and community requirements, coordinated government action can help ensure avoidable barriers do not hold them back. That means aligning enabling infrastructure, workforce and migration, housing, regulatory and investment facilitation, and opportunities for downstream development, before constraints emerge. The opportunity is real - the next task is coordinated delivery. With the Commonwealth and Territory governments working from a shared plan, with clear responsibilities and timely decisions, credible projects can become sustained production, regional employment, local business activity, exports and stronger national supply chains.