Media releases
Westpac banks on Darwin business growth
17 June 2025
Westpac is increasing its presence in Darwin, investing $1 million in a new business banking centre to support SME and commercial businesses in the Northern Territory.
Westpac has seen a 20 per cent increase in business lending in the Northern Territory over the past 12 months.
“We support a diverse range of businesses in Darwin and across the Northern Territory, from property and construction to agriculture, transport and retail, and we’re seeing some great growth stories and innovation from our customers in the Top End,” said Shane Howell, Westpac General Manager of Commercial Banking.
“Darwin plays an important role in our nation and region’s defence strategy, and with an estimated $7.3 billion in defence infrastructure investment planned over the next decade we expect that to increase opportunities for our business customers. With a strong presence in Darwin our expert business bankers are ready to support customers looking to capitalise on that growth.”
The highest growth industries for Westpac business lending in the Northern Territory over the past 12 months are Agriculture (up 73%), Wholesale Trade (up 32%), Construction (up 21%), Accommodation (up 15%) and Manufacturing (up 11%).
The new business banking centre is located upstairs in the historic Westpac branch on Smith Street, where Westpac has been based in Darwin since 1940. The building survived both Cyclone Tracy and the bombing of Darwin in WWII.
The new layout includes a 12-seat boardroom with AV facilities, available for customers to hold meetings, as well as smaller meeting rooms and workstations for SME and commercial business banking teams.
On the ground floor of the building, the Westpac and BankSA co-located branch offers full retail banking services.
“We’re proud to be investing in this wonderful building in the centre of Darwin and continuing to expand to support our business and retail customers in the Northern Territory to make the most of the opportunities ahead of them,” said Mr Howell.
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