Lee Point protester’s Mindil whinge forced cracker night change

The Chief Minister is cheesed at Darwin’s cracker night venue change. Read what happened.

Chief Minister Eva Lawler has spoken of her disappointment that after more than 20 years, Mindil Beach’s iconic Territory Day fireworks are on the move.

The NT News revealed on Sunday the traditional Territory Day cracker night celebrations had been relocated from Mindil Beach to Darwin’s Waterfront because of issues over the granting of an authority certificate.

The NT News has been told a single complainant, who last year lodged a cultural objection to Defence Housing Authority’s Lee Point development, similarly used Mindil Beach’s status as a sacred site to try and stop the fireworks.

Despite a permit to conduct the iconic fireworks at Mindil Beach having never before been issued, it’s understood NT Major Events Corporation flubbed its response around whether or not to secure a certificate and chose instead to relocate the event.

Fireworks over Darwin Harbour. (AAP Image/Lucy Hughes Jones) NO ARCHIVING

The NT News has been told it’s not mandatory to secure an authority certificate to access a sacred site, but it provides guidelines which, if followed, means developers can’t be prosecuted under the Sacred Sites Act.

“The authority certificate is a risk management tool, basically,” an expert said.

“The certificate is not mandatory, but it’s highly advisable as a management tool.”

Events such as the Dry Season Mindil Beach markets and Bass in the Grass operate within the guidelines of an authority certificate, but the fireworks have never previously applied for a certificate.

Ms Lawler said Major Events essentially ran out of time to secure the authority certificate that would have allowed them to keep fireworks at Mindil Beach this year.

“My understanding is we’ve had Territory Day at Mindil Beach for 20-30 years and this year there was advice that Major Events needed to have Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority approval,” Ms Lawler said.

“The length of time they would need to get that authority meant they would be pushing to get it by Territory Day so (Major Events) made a decision to have Territory Day at the Waterfront.”

Ms Lawler said events like Mindil Markets needed to be preserved because of their importance to the Territory.

“Mindil Markets are an iconic reason for people to come to the Territory so I don’t want to see at any time less customers at Mindil Markets or to in any way see its position diminished because it truly is something that brings people to the Territory.

“So I think there’s been a communications breakdown around a few things that have happened so the decision was made by Major Events to hold the event at the Waterfront this year.”

Major Events minister Brent Potter is expected to comment further on Tuesday morning.