Our Story
Darwin Waterfront
Our story
When we reflect on the Darwin Waterfront and harbour over time, we think of it as a place that people came and went, a ‘maritime hub’.
Water is a prominent theme of Darwin Waterfront's history, environment, culture through Larrakia stories, recreational spaces and leisure activities.
The Larrakia people travelled the harbour, fishing, hunting and gathering food, conducting ceremonies and visiting sacred sites and countrymen.
Early surveyors, adventurers, settlers and gold seekers arrived by sea and crossed and re-crossed the harbour from this point to access the interior, carve a home out of the harsh tropical landscape or seek their fame and fortune. The railway also started and finished here.
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When we reflect on the Darwin Waterfront and harbour over time, we think of it as a place that people came and went, a ‘maritime hub’.
Water is a prominent theme of Darwin Waterfront's history, environment, culture through Larrakia stories, recreational spaces and leisure activities.
The Larrakia people travelled the harbour, fishing, hunting and gathering food, conducting ceremonies and visiting sacred sites and countrymen.
Early surveyors, adventurers, settlers and gold seekers arrived by sea and crossed and re-crossed the harbour from this point to access the interior, carve a home out of the harsh tropical landscape or seek their fame and fortune. The railway also started and finished here.
The Corporation
The Darwin Waterfront is managed by the Darwin Waterfront Corporation. It is separate to the municipality of Darwin.
The Darwin Waterfront Corporation was created to deliver on the following objectives:
- To develop, manage and service the precinct for the benefit of the community.
- To promote the precinct as a place of residence and a venue for public events and entertainment.
Our mission is to develop, maintain and promote a safe and welcoming gathering place where lifestyle, business and learning experiences happen and are a driver of social and economic growth.
In addition to managing the Waterfront precinct, Stokes Hill Wharf, State Square carpark and performing local government functions for the municipality, the Darwin Waterfront Corporation manages the contractual arrangements for the Darwin Convention and Exhibition Centre on behalf of the Northern Territory Government.
Darwin Convention Centre
Concession and Management Arrangements
The Darwin Convention Centre is run under a long-term agreement between the Northern Territory Government and a private company, Darwin Cove Convention Centre Pty Ltd (“the concession holder”). This agreement is for 25 years, ending in June 2033.
Running the Centre
The concession holder was responsible for designing, financing and building the convention centre.
The concession holder hired ASM Global (formerly Ogden IFC Darwin Pty Ltd) to operate and manage the centre day-to-day.
Honeywell Ltd is contracted to handle maintenance, repairs, and refurbishments.
Grant Payments
The Northern Territory Government pays the concession holder over the life of the agreement through two main payments:
- Territory Availability Payment (TAP): Covers construction, debt, maintenance, and management costs.
- Territory Operating Payment (TOP): Helps cover any shortfall from running the centre each year. This amount is capped and negotiated annually.
The arrangement also includes Territory Incentive Payments (TIP), which reward the operator for exceeding performance targets.
Grant Payment Management
The Darwin Waterfront Corporation manages these payments on behalf of the Northern Territory Government through its grant funding.
A senior officer from the Corporation acts as Project Administrator, monitoring performance and managing payments.
The payments are recorded as expenses in the Corporation’s financial statements (within each financial year’s annual report) and will gradually reduce as the debt and other costs are paid off over time.
Payments to the Centre make up the majority of the Corporation’s funding from the Northern Territory Government.
