Trio to receive infringement notices after police say they Lee Point access

Three ‘older’ Territorians will be sanctioned after police say they refused to get out of the way for Lee Point site developers during a peaceful protest.

A man and two women will be fined after police say they blocked access to the Defence Housing Authority’s Lee Point development site.

NT Police Northern Watch Commander Richard Howie said there was a “potential” to charge the trio for disorderly behaviour on Monday but police did not plan on “going down that path”.

“We just hope that everyone can do the right thing, and while we respect their right to protest, we also need to ensure people’s right to go about their business and complete the job they’re contracted to do,” he said.

Sergeant Howie said the three “older” people had been laying on the road and refusing to move, blocking the path for equipment delivery.

He said police became aware of about 50 people protesting peacefully early Monday morning.

“We attended just to ensure the safety of the protesters as that machinery moved through,” Sergeant Howie said.

“Laying on the roadside and obstructing traffic is obviously something that’s not safe and can place road users and protesters or anybody at risk.”

A lone protester sits in the scoop of a bulldozer at the site of Defence Housing Australia's development site in Lee Point. Picture: Sierra Haigh

The development project has been met with contention for months, with protesters calling for sustainable development around and preservation of the biodiversity precinct that links Lee Point with Casuarina coastal reserve.

Tina Haase protested for more than an hour at the site of Defence Housing Authority's development site in Lee Point. Picture: Sierra Haigh

Protester Tina Haase said drawing parallels between bulldozing Lee Point and past urban development sites was like comparing apples and oranges.

“I live in a unit so I try and have the least impact on the environment that I can, but obviously we’re all here, we all do have an impact but it’s about minimising that impact,” she said.

“I definitely think it could have been better executed.

“There seems to be a lot happening really quickly without consultation.”