Bayview proposal could be scrapped

A MAJOR development in Darwin — the Bayview Boulevarde project — will not go ahead if Territory Labor are elected in August

Labor candidate Jeff Collins and shadow minister Natasha Fyles announced they would be scrapping the Bayview Boulevarde project if elected. Picture: MATT GARRICK

A MAJOR development in Darwin — the Bayview Boulevarde project — will not go ahead if Territory Labor are elected in August.

If it is ever finished, the project would result in a huge expansion of the area, to the tune of around 1000 new townhouses and apartments.

The NT Government announced last year the development would also eventually be expanded to include a boardwalk, fishing jetty and restaurant.

Candidate for the seat of Fong Lim, which contains Bayview, Jeff Collins made the announcement on Sunday.

“We’ve had a lot of responses from residents about the impact on the local area of the proposed development. The increased traffic, to some degree property values,” Mr Collins said. “People are certainly upset that they bought in here a long time ago, 20 years ago (when Bayview was originally constructed), and they feel they haven’t been put on notice that this was ever going to be a development that was going to come about.

“There are also environmental concerns, in terms of the impact on the mangroves surrounding the Bayview suburb.”

The announcement was quickly applauded by environmental group the Australian Marine Conservation Society.

The group’s northern marine campaigner Jacqui Taylor said the Boulevarde would destroy a hugely important range of ecosystems.

“Mangroves act as a crucial seeding and breeding ground for a lot of recreationally and commercially important fish,” Ms Taylor said. “They store carbon and supply us with oxygen. We applaud Labor and we hope the CLP would also listen to the community’s concerns and look to protecting our coastline into the future.”

Minister for Lands Dave Tollner, also the local member for Bayview, branded Labor’s proposal as “outrageous”. “The development is already two thirds completed,” Mr Tollner said. “it’s been supported by governments of every stripe for the past 20 years. This talk that residents are opposed to the finalisation of Bayview is outrageous ... utter madness.”

He said scrapping the project would show a “sign of sovereign risk in the NT”.

Mr Collins said Labor were not against development taking place in the area, but would be seeking an alternate plan and location.