Stuart Knowles, who has gone from 15-year-old apprentice mechanic in the army to boss of a mult-billion-dollar gas project to Territory Coordinator, says potential investors are “banging on the door” now that the road from concept to operation for major projects has been made much easier. 

“There’s more and more interest in investing in the Territory,” he says. 

“We have got an abundance of natural resources – from minerals and gas to sunshine. Now we have to commercialise those advantages.” 

He says his role as Territory Coordinator is to “speed up processes, not cut corners”. 

The Territory has by far the highest level of net debt per capita of any Australian jurisdiction. 

“The spending of public funds at the rate seen in days gone by is not sustainable in the long term,” says Mr Knowles, who has built up vast experience during his time in the military, private enterprise and public service. “We need to attract private investment to create wealth and jobs.” 

Business has warmly welcomed the new role of Territory Coordinator, an independent statutory officer with extensive powers to plan and support the progression of complex projects and developments. 

“My role is about providing certainty for investors,” says Mr Knowles. 

He has had talks with the heads of many major projects since officially taking up his job in May — and his message is always the same: what will it take for you to start operating? 

Mr Knowles, who is answerable directly to Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro, who is also Territory Coordinator Minister, has powers over 32 Acts of Parliament, but not over the NT Sacred Sites Act. 

He has been out and about in the Territory listening to all key stakeholders about the investment opportunities. 

The Territory Coordinator has also talked to the Territory’s four land councils and attended a full council meeting of the Central Land Council in Kalkarindji in August to reassure Traditional Owners that his ability to cut through barriers to economic investment was not a threat to their land rights. 

Mr Knowles told the full council that rather than being seen as an adversary he could help speed up economic development on Indigenous land if that’s what the community wanted. 

“Understandably, Aboriginal people want a fair return for any development on their land.” 

There are other important restraints on the Territory Coordinator’s power. For instance, he has no authority over three key pieces of Federal legislation — the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, the Native Title Act, and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. 

But he does have the power to ask NT Government agencies and local government councils to make projects designated “significant” by the Minister a priority. 

“I can tell them to put it at the top of the pile and to progress it within a certain time frame. I can also tell them to make a decision. And if they don’t, I can step in and make the decision.” 

Mr Knowles can also declare Territory Development Areas needed for economic development, such as strategic industrial land developments that could include workshops, warehouses and laydown areas. 

The Government is concentrating effort on developing the Beetaloo sub-basin, which has enough gas estimated to supply Australia’s energy needs for more than 200 years. 

“It’s an economic game-changer,” says Mr Knowles. “It can transform the Territory economy and our regions and provide energy security for Australia.” 

He has also been in discussions with governments in neighbouring states and in Canberra about cross-border opportunities, particularly where the Territory can play its part in contributing to national resilience. 

Mr Knowles has come a long way since his boyhood in Roma, Queensland. 

He joined the army straight from school and was posted to Darwin — but quit after nine years when told he was being posted interstate. 

“I wanted to stay in the Territory,” he says. “The Territory won.” 

He worked for private companies “on the tools” before becoming a transport inspector and then joining the NT public service to work on approvals for the Ichthys gas project. 

Mr Knowles then went to work for INPEX and ended up as general manager — one of the most sought-after jobs in the Australian resources industry. 

He’s excited about his new role and the Territory’s economic prospects. 

“We are on the cusp of something truly transformational. And I’m thrilled to be part of it.” TQ 

KEY ASPECTS OF THE JOB 

• Economic development: the primary goal of the Territory Coordinator is to attract major private investments, drive economic growth and create jobs. 
• Project coordination: to act as a link between government, industry, and communities to coordinate and fast-track transformative development projects. 
• Streamlining approvals: the Territory Coordinator can facilitate the designation of key areas for development, such as Infrastructure Coordination Areas and Territory Development Areas. 
• Expediting processes: the Coordinator and the Minister can issue notices that prioritise or make decisions on certain statutory processes to reduce bureaucratic delays. 
• Overseeing programs of work: to oversee the development of strategic, whole-of-government programs designed to deliver significant infrastructure and support economic development.