Outback Wrangler Matt Wright and Kaia in NTCAT clash over helicopter use at Virginia home

Complaints over Matt Wright’s helicopters buzzing over their Virginia property have landed a Territory celebrity couple before NTCAT.

Embattled Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright and wife had a matter before the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

Complaints over Outback Wrangler Matt Wright’s helicopter use at his Top End home landed him before a tribunal, court documents have revealed.

Matt Wright and his wife Kaia have been involved with a three-month long dispute with the Develop­ment Consent Authority in the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Documents released to this publication show the Planning Act spat revolves around the use of helicopters at the celebrity couple’s Virginia home.

The tribunal was told in writing there were two formal complaints against the Wrights over chopper flights, takeoffs and landings at their home over a four-day period in 2021.

In response, the DCA issued an enforcement notice alleging the Wrights had breached the Planning Act by using the home as an aircraft landing site without consent while zoned as a rural living area.

“The Applicants have admitted, and there is no dispute, that Matthew Wright uses an unspecified area of the property as a place used for the landing or takeoff of helicopters,” the DCA wrote.

“(It is the DCA’s) belief that the Applicants have contravened, are contravening and will contravene … the Planning Act.”

Matt Wright with his wife Kaia in a helicopter/

In their application, the Wrights argued they had “existing use” rights to fly in and out of their residential property.

The reality TV star and his Instagram famous wife argued they bought the property in 2017, before the February 2019 amendment to the NT Planning Act which changed rules around landing sites.

“Because the helicopter use was not a separate use of the property, the existing use provisions of the Planning Act are not engaged as there has been no change in the use of the land from residential living,” their application said.

The Wrights argued that since their use pre-existed changes, their helicopter use was still protected.

However in the DCA response, the department said this was “irrelevant” as amendments to the planning scheme still needed to be followed.

The Wrights previously claimed they had been denied “natural justice”, however retracted this after the DCA pointed out they were given “numerous opportunities” to respond to the complaints.

On Friday NTCAT president Mark O’Reilly heard both sides were ready to present their cases and evidence in a hearing expected to run for two hours in June or July.

Matt Wright and his wife Kaia are in an NTCAT dispute with the Develop­ment Consent Authority.

No witnesses are expected to be called in the upcoming hearing, with the case to be decided on the submissions from legal teams.

If successful, the Wrights are also seeking an order to recover any out of pocket expenses from their appeal.

However, the DCA have disputed this, alleging even if NTCAT found in the Wrights favour, the couple had ignored opportunities to explain their position, and had “substantially” changed their legal position throughout the tribunal hearings.

“(The Wrights) did not genuinely attempt to enable and assist the respondent to make the original decision,” it said.