Welcome to a special edition of Territory Q, the magazine on a permanent mission to prove the Northern Territory is the best place to live, work and invest.

From Beetaloo gas to Tennant Mining Gold, the Territory has a lot going on. I’m biased, obviously — but this time I genuinely mean it. Between global companies being good corporate citizens and smaller outfits in Alice and Tennant doing the heavy lifting, this issue is stacked, led by two standout stories: first gas from the Beetaloo and Sitzler’s 50th anniversary. It’s also our October Business Month edition, and TQ is proud to sponsor OBM for the 15th year running.

Which brings me to the one date you need in your diary: our special OBM TQ Long Lunch, Legends Talk Legacy, on 16 October. And who better to head that session than the Northern Territory’s first Chief Minister, Paul Everingham. Paul is still a practising lawyer with a staff of 30, and his cases demand his time, so he’ll be joining us from the screen rather than the table. That said, there’ll be plenty of stories from the other speakers. It’s a long lunch not to be missed. My only advice is that when these guys get going, it’s best to shut up and listen. Oh, and book an Uber — I doubt many of us will be making it back to the office that afternoon. It’s genuine professional development, so get your tickets: it’s a big room; they won’t run out, and everyone is welcome.

Now, Beetaloo. For anyone who’s dodged TQ’s 400-odd articles on it over 15 years, here’s my line for newcomers: there’s more gas down there than the whole of Russia. The Beetaloo sub-basin contains enough estimated shale gas resources to supply Australia’s domestic demand for more than 230 years. It won’t employ thousands, but it will pump hundreds of millions into our economy every year, open doors in downstream manufacturing, and give us an edge on investments still to come. Like INPEX and Santos, workers will be well paid and mostly local. Investors backed more than a billion dollars over a decade, turning a fanciful idea into reality — a milestone up there with the Adelaide–Darwin railway. Congratulations to everyone involved, including our EPA, for balancing progress with evidence-based protection in a highly regulated industry.

Sitzler’s half-century is a magnificent achievement anywhere, but especially here, where distance and a tiny population still make it a tough place to earn a dollar. Sitzler has grown from a two-man show in Alice Springs into one of the most respected contractors in the country, built on fairness and honesty. Hats off to Steve Margetic and Michael Sitzler and all the very best for the next 50.

I’ve always said TQ is the barometer for business. The moment confidence rises, the TQ phone starts ringing. We’re already booking editorial well into next year. With resources moving from exploration into production, marketing has never mattered more, and Territory businesses are about to get hit with a battle for skilled workers on a monumental scale. Marketing itself is short-staffed, and we’ve quietly become a virtual agency for clients unwilling to hand their brand to one inexperienced person. With more than 15 national recruitment campaigns under my belt, my tip is: run a retention campaign alongside any hiring push, because it’s cheaper to keep good people than compete for new ones.

Talking of workers, there’s an article on housing from Jacob Caine, president of the REIA, on the national picture, recent tax changes, and what’s happening here. We always swim against the trend, and his point lands: there’s no single Australian property market – just thousands, divided by location, price, type and confidence. Darwin isn’t taking instructions from the southern capitals, and we remain the most affordable place in the country to buy a home.

This issue is also about building. All Cast has been behind some of the Territory’s most recognisable buildings for 40 years. BTC has found a winning formula revamping hotels and accommodation, casino included. And DCOH is doing things smarter, investing in leadership and training while raising another crane into the sky, building student accommodation at Danala Education and Community Precinct.

Plenty of celebrations too. SeaCulture took out Croc Pitch, GTNT crowned its apprentice, trainee and employer of the year, and REINT has listed its 2026 real estate award winners. Peter Dummett needs a bigger cabinet, with Darwin Port winning Port of the Year at the Australian Shipping and Maritime Industry Awards. Fathma Mauger was named Australia’s Primary School Principal of the Year in the Government Sector, and talent in these pages extends to the Critical Care and Trauma Response Team and the Darrikardu Art Collective, building a platform for Aboriginal artists across the Thamarrurr homelands.

I was stoked to discover Nobby Bartsch, this issue’s pioneer, just as he finished 10 years restoring a Hawker Sea Fury in a Winnellie shed. My favourite detail didn’t make the story: to test that the 18 cylinders were firing, he’d push the plane into the car park at night to watch the flames — fair enough, for one of the fastest production piston-engine aircraft ever built. On one occasion, a local riding his push bike home from the Winnellie pub was blown clean off the seat and not really understanding what happened, picked up his bike and legged it.

I also got to rediscover Nitmiluk when we launched Garnbak — Sound of the Wind, the Jawoyn Association’s new festival debuting at Nitmiluk Gorge in September 2027. “Garnbak” is Jawoyn for didgeridoo, or yidaki. More in January about the festive, but I was reminded how much Nitmiluk caters to everyone, from the “pillow menu” crowd to the “my swag is my personality” crowd, and Cicada Lodge chef Adam Wood’s seven-course degustation for a hundred guests proved it. Put it on the bucket list.

And finally, before you decide you’ve caught mango madness, it could be menopause with a side of hormonal chaos. There’s an article drawn from my own experience, sharing a little understanding for the ladies and, hopefully, shedding light for the men.

It’s here I say farewell to Greg Dick from Aileron covered in a pioneer story written by Steve Strike in issue six 2015. I knew him pretty well from our TQ road trips, and he loved the magazine – well enough that we couldn’t shock me with his humour anyway. I will miss him.

From gas to gold to Seafood Month and OBM, this October issue truly has it all. Hanging in there and looking forward to a big break at the end of the year.

Anya Lorimer
Publisher – TerritoryQ Magazine