Gunner Government knocks back $2bn Noonamah Ridge development

THE Northern Territory Government has knocked back the planned $2 billion Noonamah Ridge development in Darwin’s rural area

An early artist’s impression of the planned $2 billion Noonamah Ridge development in Darwin’s rural area

THE Territory Government has scrapped the planned $2 billion Noonamah Ridge development in Darwin’s rural area.

The proposed development, first raised more than six years ago, would have seen 4200 new residences built over the next 30 years.

However, the Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, Eva Lawler, has decided not to approve the rezoning of Noonamah Ridge to establish a Specific Use Zone “at this time”.

Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Eva Lawler with Chief Minister Michael Gunner. Minister Lawler has decided not to approve the planned $2 billion Noonamah Ridge development in Darwin’s rural area

Ms Lawler said that it was a difficult decision, with consideration given to the potential of the development and the impact a project of the scale proposed would have had on a number of areas, including:

■ Amenity and lifestyle for those in the rural area

■ Groundwater supplies

■ Sequencing of land development and expected growth areas

■ Lack of surrounding local and regional infrastructure

Ms Lawler said the proposal was considered based on its merits and in context to community feedback.

Other considerations were the assessment report done by the NT Environmental Protection Authority, planning policy in the NT Planning Scheme, including the Darwin Regional Land Use Plan 2015 and Litchfield Subregional Land Use Plan 2016.

The proponents, Intrapac Property, wanted a town centre with shops, a retirement village, schools, sport facilities, bike tracks and a lake.

“We want to invest in Darwin because we believe in it … the project will create hundreds of jobs per year during construction, plus long-term permanent jobs through new businesses in the development,” the company said after releasing a revised application for the development that addressed the ongoing concerns by rural residents around the issue of water supply.

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“It is projects like this that will turn some of the economic problems in Darwin around.”

However, Ms Lawler said Territorians elected a Labor Government that would listen to them and support projects that bring economic value to the NT in line with community expectations.

“We are listening,” she said.