Contested Dundee development set to get Planning Minister’s tick or flick within weeks

THE peaceful seaside NT hamlet of Dundee will find out soon if a contested development will get the planning minister’s go ahead

Anglers Choice Fishing Safaris at Mermaid Circuit, Dundee

A  PEACEFUL seaside NT hamlet will find out within weeks if a contested development will get the planning minister’s go ahead.

Residents of the community of Dundee, southwest of Darwin, attended a NT planning commission hearing into whether a fishing charter businesses should get an “exceptional development permit”.

Anglers Choice already operates its fishing charter business out of a property at Mermaid Circuit, offering fishing and accommodation packages for up to 13 guests, as it has done for 15 years.

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Anglers Choice Fishing Safaris at Mermaid Circuit, Dundee

Planning documents show the charter company is seeking approval for its existing buildings to be deemed a “hostel”, despite being prohibited within its current zone, and also to build five additional rooms in a new single-storey building.

The development, when put out to public consultation, received 28 submissions and one petition.

Of the submissions, 15 were in support and 13 against, not including the petition that garnered 15 signatures from people or couples against the development.

Supporters of the project include the venue managers of nearby Lodge of Dundee and a set of neighbours that deemed Anglers Choice better than “many neighbours they’ve had the misfortune to share boundaries with in suburbia”.

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The main gripes of detractors included inadequate water supply, the fact the development was within 5m of the boundary setback, and that there was inadequate wastewater management for the scale of the development.

The planning commission chairperson will now prepare a report for the minister to make a decision, which is expected at least a fortnight, if not more, from now.