Damien Moriarty is the new Chief Executive of Master Builders NT.

He replaces Ben Carter whose sudden June departure came after less than two years in the role.

In a statement on Friday, Master Buidlers NT President Neil Sunners said Mr Moriarty, who will start his new role in coming weeks, had over two decades of experience in the construction and business management sectors.

In the same statement, Master Builders NT announced that Andrea Moriarty, the new Chief Executive’s sister, has stepped down as President after 17 years but will remain on the board.

“Damien’s leadership skills and deep understanding of both the local and national building industry make him an excellent choice for this role,” Mr Sunners said.

“We are excited to work with him to shape the future of Master Builders NT and advance the interests of our members.

“His background in law, business, and construction positions him uniquely to lead Master Builders NT through its next chapter, focusing on innovation, industry development, and advocacy.”

Mr Moriarty is a licensed builder, was the director of the Kalo Group – owner of Kalo Homes – for close to five years, was executive director of Killarney Homes from 2010 to 2019, and was Chairman of the Northern Territory Architects Board for three years.

He holds an Executive MBA from the Melbourne Business School and a law degree from Charles Darwin University.

“I am deeply honoured to join Master Builders NT and lead the organisation at such a crucial time for the building and construction industry,” Mr Moriarty said.

“The challenges and opportunities facing our industry are significant, and I look forward to collaborating with our board, members, and partners to ensure we continue to drive positive change and growth.”

Mr Moriarty served on the Darwin Turf Club board for close to seven years, and in 2022 successfully challenged the Office of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption’s adverse findings that he breached the public trust over his role in the $12 million taxpayer-funded Fannie Bay racecourse grandstand.

The Supreme Court found ICAC did not provide him procedural fairness and that the ICAC acted outside of his jurisdiction in making the findings.

Mr Carter’s resignation was announced in MBNT’s newsletter on a Thursday afternoon in the first week on July, which said he had resigned effective from the Friday before.

No explanation was provided for why Mr Carter resigned and there was no formal thank you to Mr Carter for his work while with Master Builders NT.

Mr Carter started in the role in September 2022 prior to which he was national Director of Media and Public Affairs with Master Builders Australia for nine years.

He told the NT Independent that “After nearly two years in Darwin, I’ve realised that the Territory isn’t for me.”