Traditional owners flag concerns Little Mindil plans will disturb sacred sites

An authority representing Darwin’s Larrakia traditional owners has flagged concerns about the proposed luxury hotel planned for Little Mindil beach.

Artists impression of the Little Mindil Hotel. Picture: Supplied

ONE of the Aboriginal corporations representing Darwin’s Larrakia traditional owners has flagged serious concerns about a proposed luxury hotel planned for Little Mindil beach.

Arthur Winston Investment and Kita Group have submitted plans for the $200 million North One Hotel and Apartments complex, with a view to open the doors in 2025.

But Larrakia Development Corporation chief executive Nigel Browne said while the consortium had previously consulted with TOs, plans released earlier this month appeared to encroach on sacred sites.

“Now we’ve gone back and looked at what they’ve actually submitted to the planning authority and the concern is that the provisions for ensuring the integrity of the sacred site areas within that lot and the sacred site that runs the length and breadth of the Mindil beachfront have not been adequately addressed,” he said.

“It’s not as easy to simply look at a line on a map and say this side of the line’s good and that side of the line’s bad.”

Artists impression of the Little Mindil Hotel. Picture: Supplied

Mr Browne said under the current plans, the development would disturb land with immense significance to Larrakia people, including having been used as a burial ground.

“The entirety of the beachfront is also a registered sacred site and indeed even part of the area where people congregate on Thursday nights for Mindil Beach markets forms part of that sacred site,” he said.

“It’s an area that’s been used by Larrakia and other Aboriginal groups including the Tiwi and Wulna over many years, we used to do battle on the beaches back then but it’s certainly a place where our ancestors were interred.”

Mr Browne is on the board of the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority (AAPA) and he said while the authority would have to sign off on the project before work began, the current plans appeared problematic.

“The consultation with AAPA is just one part of the puzzle because what it really boils down to is even if an authority certificate work permit is approved, it then falls back on the developers to do the right thing and comply with that certificate,” he said.

“At the moment, based on the designs that have been submitted to the planning authority, I don’t think that’s been addressed.”

The project spokesman said: “an archaeological monitoring program will be instigated during construction for any ground disturbance work in recognition of the possibility that historic burials may still exist at the site”.