Retiring Mayor Matt Paterson is coy about his second job, in addition to his $116,000 a year gig heading up the council.
It’s conveniently just across the road from the civic centre, at the office of Amentum, a Pine Gap defence contractor.
We texted him on December 16: “Do you work for Amentum? Just checking a rumour.” No answer.
Last week we asked him again: “Are you working for them [Amentum] or another company in addition to being Mayor? What is your pay? Since when? What are your functions? Do you have a conflict of interest and if so, have you declared it?”
He didn’t say yes, he didn’t say no.
Meanwhile a new local newsletter, Militarism in the NT’s Substack, reports that Matt works as “a housing maintenance officer for Amentum – making sure the homes of the ~ 1000 Americans and Australians working at Pine Gap are kept in pristine order.
“He works from 7am to 2pm daily in the Amentum office, then skips across the road after 2pm to take up his mayoral duties.”
His Worship’s possible conflict of interest is a topical question with multiple wars under way and Donald Trump in the White House. The huge spy base on our doorstep being a prime nuclear target is on many people’s minds.
Key aspects in the NT Act under which the Mayor operates are: “Members must act in the best interests of the municipality, region, or shire and base their decisions on honest, reasonable, and informed judgments.”
Richard Tanter, from the Nautilus think tank collecting information about military issues, says Amentum in Alice Springs is providing non-intelligence jobs from catering, housing maintenance to engineering, judging from job ads he’s been tracking.
The company’s own website is long on bumph and short of facts: “We realise breakthroughs by continuously reinventing” and “we apply undaunted curiosity, relentless ambition and boundless imagination to challenge convention and drive progress.”
Amentum has offices in 24 locations in the USA, as well as the UK, France and Australia.
Ex-military persons are clearly welcome to apply: “Hiring veterans is a vital component of the company’s mission to honour and support those who have served our country.”
That’s the USA.
“Our Wall of Honour, which commemorates the ultimate sacrifice made by personnel in support of our customers’ missions, is more than a physical structure. It symbolizes the deep respect and gratitude we hold for those who have dedicated their lives to building a better world.”
Update 11:10am July 24, 2025:
Mayor Paterson has still not commented about a declaration of interest he may have because of his job with the American defence contractor Amentum.
Town Council records show no such declaration.
The Mayor declared interest in the Arrernte Boxing Academy (in 2021), a pest control company (2023), “Traeger Park Cricket Nets” (2024) and the Gnoilya Street development application in the same year.
There is no declaration for 2025. Amentum is not mentioned.
Update 11:50am July 25, 2025:
A reader has pointed out to us the following declaration by the Mayor in the 2024 Annual Returns of Interest – Council Members:
Any other substantial source of income – note: a general rule is, income of over $1,000 per annum might be notifiable.
Part time employment, Amentum, Senior Project Manager.
This story is open for comment at Alice Springs News.
This article appeared on Alice Springs News on 23 July 2025.
