Residents rally to stop Gardens towers

Residents fuming at a planning zone change have taken their fight to stop high-rise developments in their suburb to the Fannie Bay by-election. Read what they want.

DOZENS of residents gathered at a park in The Gardens to oppose high-rise development in the suburb.

Fuelled by developer proposals to build a seven-storey unit block in Blake Street and a multi-tower development at the old PINTs Club site behind the old Channel Nine office, residents of the leafy suburban enclave want commitments that the Community Purpose zoning will remain.

They are still fuming the previous CLP government changed 4 Blake Street zoning from CP to SD46 which allowed multi-storey development at the site.

Seven years on, developer Makrylos Group is still trying to get final approval to develop at 4 Blake Street and to secure a rezoning at the PINTS Club site, which overlooks Botanic Gardens.

Member of anti-development lobby Planning For People, former Territory chief magistrate Hugh Bradley wants the main candidates contesting this weekend’s Fannie Bay by-election to oppose a re-zoning change at PINTs Club and stop development at 4 Blake Street.

The Gardens' residents are fighting an eight-storey development in his suburb with other residents. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

He said since zoning first emerged as a serious community issue in 2015, residents had been through three DCA directives, three from the Northern Territory Civil and Appeal Tribunal and a Supreme Court process as well.

“Four Blake Street is the immediate problem and will be a disaster for Gardens Hill community,” he said.

“I think development at PINTs Club will be a disaster for the Darwin community.

“Can you imagine anybody being allowed to use the amphitheatre when you have five buildings overlooking the amphitheatre? To me the amphitheatre is critical to Darwin’s character and live performances would be stopped if the development ever goes ahead.”

Mr Bradley said access in and out of the gardens is adequate for the suburb, which has only one and two-storey homes, but the narrow entry and exit points would be unsuitable for mass high-rise development.

The Gardens' residents are fighting an eight-storey development in his suburb with other residents. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

The PINTs Club site proposal includes a road through a portion of the Botanic Gardens.

Mr Bradley said other parts of Darwin are better suited to multi-storey development.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said zoning was a “point of difference” in the Fannie Bay by-election campaign.

“There was a committee meeting and one candidate showed up to that meeting and that was the Territory Labor candidate,” she said.

CLP candidate Ben Hosking said door-knocking around the electorate showed the community is frustrated at the uncertainty of ongoing zoning battles.

“What’s been brought to my attention from door-knocking in the areas of The Gardens is that people are constantly going through the same battle and they need more support from the NT Government.”