NT council's China trade mission questioned amid cost-of-living crisis

In short:

Darwin lord mayor Peter Styles will lead a delegation of businesses to China and Vietnam later this year, in a bid to help bolster the Top End economy.

The trip comes after rates in the city were raised above inflation, but the council has denied it is a "junket".

What's next?

It is the first of such overseas delegations led by the city's council since 2023.

Darwin City Council has defended its decision to lead a trade delegation to Asia during a year when the city's rates have been hiked and its annual hard rubbish collection delayed to 2027.

The council has confirmed about $18,000 of ratepayer funding will be spent on the mission, to be led by lord mayor Peter Styles, which aims to open economic doors for the Top End city.

The council's general manager of innovation, Alice Percy, said the delegation would lead about 10 businesses to Guangzhou in China and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam in December.

"This is definitely not a junket for the mayor and for the council," she said.

"It's an important economic opportunity for Darwin as a capital city."

Ms Percy said it would be the first time the city's council had led a delegation abroad since 2023.

"The economic impact of these types of trade missions can lead to approximately $250,000 per annum coming into the economy,"she said.

The delegation comes a year after China Southern Airlines began flying to and from Darwin, with the council voicing its ambition to try and convince more carriers to fly to the city.

While attending businesses will fund their own trips, the council has said it will provide support and facilitate introductions and networking opportunities with businesses in Asia.

Mr Styles is a previous NT government Asian engagement minister, and after he lost his seat in 2016, he held private consultancy businesses in the same field.

The council was asked whether it viewed Mr Styles's previous roles as possible conflicts of interest in leading the delegation, but it did not respond by deadline.

Mr Styles was unavailable for an interview.

Trip follows rate rises, service delay

The council's move to embark on the trip comes six months after it raised rates by 5.5 per cent, above inflation level, and ditched its annual pre-cyclone clean-up for 2026, postponing it until next May.

At the time of the rate hike, Mr Styles said the council was grappling with rising expenses and a large damage bill following a destructive cyclone season.

Former Darwin lord mayor Graeme Sawyer said the council risked seeming out of touch with its ratepayers.

"Particularly at a time when cost of living and everything else is so front and centre in people's minds, you're really treading on some rough country here," he said.

Mr Sawyer said he had concerns about a "culture of secrecy" within the Darwin council, where discussed items were routinely being made confidential and unable to be viewed by the public.

"If council's not being open and explicit about the benefits and the reasons for these sorts of things, then naturally people are just going to think it's another junket," he said.

The Asian trade delegation was originally made confidential by the council when the resolution was passed earlier this year, but the council has confirmed it has now been made public.

In the community, the ABC asked Darwin residents what they thought of the upcoming trade mission, which will fund two council staff members to travel abroad alongside the lord mayor.

Darwin resident of more than 40 years, Kathy Carter, said she did not support the initiative.

"I think it's probably not a good idea," she said.

"The rates have just been put up, and we need more interest in rates, roads and rubbish.

"They can do cultural ties and trading things and all that stuff with the [NT] government."

Resident of The Gardens for more than 30 years, Mike Sproule, said he had "found over the last couple of years the performance of the council seems to be struggling".

"I'm all for cultural ties and growing business, but … it just seems to be a bit of a waste of money, really," he said.

Darwin City Council has said the trade mission will be held between December 8 and 16.