Berrimah Farm: Northcrest developer Halikos Group promises access to WWII site will return
A prominent NT developer has pledged that a historical WWII site that has been made inaccessible to the public due to a massive housing project will be reopened and form part of a new heritage park.
Northern Territory
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A prominent Territory developer has pledged that a historical World War II site that has been made inaccessible to the public due to a massive housing project will be reopened and form part of a new heritage park.
On Sunday, the NT News reported that the inaccessibility of the heritage-listed RAAF Operations Room Site, located on land that formerly housed the Berrimah Farm research facility, had been condemned by local history buff Rob Wesley who wished to view it.
Mr Wesley said the site was now gated, and he had been told by the NT Government’s Heritage Branch he would need permission from land owner Halikos Group, which is turning Berrimah Farm into a residential neighbourhood of up to 1500 lots called Northcrest, to access it.
“I’m staggered that heritage sites on private land are limited to what the private landowners allow,” Mr Wesley previously said.
Halikos Group’s senior executive officer, Alyce Breed, has now moved to head off the controversy, saying there is nothing nefarious about Mr Wesley’s inability to access the historical site.
“As the site is within our private property and adjacent to other farm buildings currently being cleared of asbestos and being demolished, the area is inherently unsafe and as a construction site, cannot be accessed by the general public,” she said.
“We confirm that there is a WWII heritage site within the development.
“This consists of concrete slabs which delineate the area used by the RAAF... [and] existing signage detailing the history associated with this facility.
“Under our Project Development Agreement, we are required to maintain and protect the area.
“It is intended to incorporate this feature into a heritage park area within the development.
“Our urban designers have been tasked with designing this zone for public use.”
The development of Northcrest continues apace, with Halikos Group recently lodging a development application to unlock a further 45 lots under stage 4C of the neighbourhood.
Stage 4C will be accessed from Belmont Rd and consists of lots of between 405–671 sqm.
A report submitted in support of the stage 4C application noted that Halikos was in the process of ratcheting up the density of future development areas within Northcrest where they are in “suitable locations”.
Locked out: History buff fumes as developer fences off WWII site
April 28: A former employee of the Berrimah Farm field research facility says he is “staggered” that the developer that was controversially gifted the land has not maintained public access to a heritage-listed World War II site that played a vital role in the defence of northern Australia.
Rob Wesley, who worked at Berrimah Farm when it was the beating heart of the former Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries (DPIF), said he was left fuming when he attempted to access the World War II RAAF Operations Room Site only to be greeted by an inaccessible gate.
“An important, but maybe less well-known, WWII site is not accessible, and who knows what damage/maintenance is being done?” he said.
Mr Wesley took his concerns to the NT Government’s Heritage Branch, which told him that, as the declared heritage site is on private land, there is no obligation for the land owner, Halikos Group, to provide public access.
A representative of the branch told Mr Wesley he would need to follow up directly with Halikos to negotiate access.
Mr Wesley said such a system ran directly counter to the spirit of what the purpose of heritage-listing was: to preserve worthy buildings and sites for the enjoyment of future generations.
“I’m staggered that heritage sites on private land are limited to what the private landowners allow,” he said.
“This to my mind makes a bit of a mockery of the term, or my concept of what it means.
“The land was given to the housing company – but did this gift not require maintenance and access to this WWII site of importance?
“If not, what a fiasco.
“Does Halikos now control access to the DPIF site?
“Why not give them Parliament House as well.”
Halikos acquired the Berrimah Farm land in 2016 after the 168ha site was controversially gifted to the developer, despite another group offering the NT Government $30m for the property.
It is now in the process of being developed into up to 1500 residential lots alongside a retail precinct and community open space.
Halikos Group, who was asked whether access to the WWII site will eventually be restored, did not respond to requests for comment.
According to the site’s heritage listing, the Operations Room provided “a co-ordinating role for the control of aerial defences, including Radio Direction Finding [RDF] and anti-aircraft defences in the North Western Area of Operations in the north of Australia during World War II”.
“The Operations Room was constructed to house the personnel and equipment required to effectively plot and relay the positions of the enemy aircraft to put Allied fighter aircraft in an optimum position for interception, in co-operation with the RDF and anti-aircraft defences,” the listing goes on to state.
“Manned twenty four hours a day until 12 November 1943, the date of the last recorded bombing raid, the Operations Room personnel directed Allied aircraft to intercept Japanese aircraft and generally monitored aircraft movements. “
The Operations Room was “instrumental” in the downing of the last enemy aircraft intercepted over the Top End, on June 12, 1944.
The extant features of the 8.9m by 19.2m historical site include two concrete floors, drains, and ridges, alongside an interpretative sign.
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