De Lago Resort: NT Health shuts down Lake Bennett destination over alleged ‘noncompliance’

A popular Northern Territory resort that reopened to the public in mid-2021 after an extensive facelift under new ownership has been slapped with a Public Health Order by NT Health.

De Lago Resort in 2021. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford.

A popular Top End resort that reopened to fanfare in 2021 under the new ownership of a South Australian pub boss has been shut down by NT Health.

In a statement, the government department confirmed it had made a Public Health Order on Thursday shutting down the food services and accommodation at Lake Bennett’s De Lago Resort.

A spokeswoman said the closure was in response to proprietor Andrew Gunn allegedly failing to “comply with the requirements and schedule” of a Public Health Notice issued on November 22, 2022.

She said that when the resort reopened as De Lago in May 2021 under new ownership, it was given a “conditional registration … based on the proprietor’s consultant reports and recommendations”.

“[The conditions] were associated with the development and implementation of public health management plans in relation to drinking water and onsite wastewater management and a staged infrastructure upgrade plan,” the health spokeswoman said.

Andrew Gunn shows off the renovations at De Lago Resort. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford.

“Since this time, the proprietor has not been able to achieve the commitments of the required staged infrastructure upgrade plan or provide and implement drinking water quality and wastewater management plans.”

The spokeswoman said the department’s Environmental Health Operations branch had “consulted extensively with the proprietor to mitigate public health risks,” including by granting him three extensions to comply with the November 2022 health notice.

The conditions must be complied with by September 30, 2024 in order for the Public Health Order to be lifted.

The NT News made multiple attempts to contact Mr Gunn via his mobile phone.

There was no response to calls made to the resort, which is listed as ‘permanently closed’ on its Google business profile.

The most recent closure is not the first time environmental concerns have been raised about the facility.

The resort, then known as Lake Bennett Resort under the previous ownership of Carolyn Reynolds, shuttered in November 2017 after the Territory’s Chief Health Officer, Hugh Heggie, issued a Public Health Order relating to the “the wastewater system and the water supply system”.

Carolyn Reynolds outside the Supreme Court in Darwin in August 2020. Picture: File

According to a published decision of Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Grant on July 17, 2020, where he denied Ms Reynolds’ appeal of the Local Court’s decision to uphold the actions of Mr Heggie, the resort was found to be non-compliant with the Food Act 2004.

Section 20 of the Act holds that a food premises must have an adequate supply of potable water and a sewerage and wastewater disposal system constructed and located to avoid the possibility of sewerage and wastewater polluting the water supply or contaminating food.

De Lago Resort in 2021, shortly before reopening. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford.

The Local Court found that the resort’s wastewater system was “substantially undersized, that the effluent disposal area did not meet minimum site assessment criteria, that the absorption trenches were not operating efficiently, and [it was] generally not fit for purpose”.

Chief Justice Grant denied the appeal after finding there had been no error of law.

Ms Reynolds appealed to the Court of Appeal, with that matter still ongoing.

On Sunday, she claimed that the resort “never, ever has had anything wrong with it”.

“It is one of the best facilities in the Northern Territory,” she said.

“Andrew [Gunn] has put his heart into developing Lake Bennett.

“He does not deserve this treatment.

“I am praying for his 20 staff members.”