PLan – the Planning Action Network Inc

An informational graphic titled "FANNIE BAY LAND SALE" and "PLan NT POSITION," labeled as an "URGENT PUBLIC ALERT" and posing the question "COMMUNITY ASSET OR PRIVATE PROFIT?". The graphic features illustrations of a map snippet and an aerial view of Waratah Oval. It is split into two main sections with bullet points and illustrative icons. The Development Proposal column details: PRIME LOCATION: Waratah Crescent, Fannie Bay (Near Oval). LARGE SITE: 9,150 sqm for Medium Density Residential. NO CONDITIONS: LDC selling with no development controls. EOI DEADLINE: 20 September 2026 (Offers >$5.5M). Our Critical Opinion (PLan NT) column argues: NO COMMUNITY CONSULTATION: Decisions made without local input. EX-COMMUNITY LAND: Loss of space in an Aged Care Precinct. SHORT-SIGHTED SELL-OFF: Prioritizing private profit over public need. URGE ACTION: Halt the tender until genuine consultation occurs. At the bottom, a call to action reads, "FIND OUT MORE & SIGN OUR PETITION: PLANINC.ORG.AU" alongside a "WARNING" button and the PLan NT logo.

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by

PLan
in ,

7 Waratah Crescent, Fannie Bay

Letter to the editor as published:

https://ntindependent.com.au/letter-to-the-editor-give-pearl-land-to-expand-aged-care-services/

To the Editor,

Lands and Planning Minister Josh Burgoyne has now responded to community calls for a public-interest assessment before the Land Development Corporation sells the remaining public land at 7 Waratah Crescent, Fannie Bay, beside Southern Cross Care’s Pearl aged-care and retirement community.

The minister states that aged-care providers are welcome to bid on the open market, but the LDC cannot accept less than market value because it is required to act commercially. Southern Cross Care would therefore have to compete against private residential developers and offer more than $5.5 million to expand Pearl’s residential aged-care services onto this adjoining site.

According to COTA NT, at least 104 senior Territorians assessed as eligible for residential aged care were forced to remain in Top End hospitals because no aged-care places were available, causing enormous stress to them and their families. This does not include people waiting at home. There are 100 people on the Pearl waiting list alone.

The shortage of aged-care places also contributes to the enormous pressure on Royal Darwin and Palmerston hospitals, which have already experienced six code yellows this year.

Minister Burgoyne’s response exposes the absurdity of the government’s position.

Southern Cross Care is a long-term and reputable aged-care provider in the NT that has operated Pearl since 2011. It already has the infrastructure, systems, staffing and local experience needed to build on an established operating facility.

The minister uses the excuse of the LDC’s commercial obligations without addressing why this public land was designated for commercial sale in the first place. The LDC is, after all, a government entity subject to ministerial direction.

In 2023, the former Labor government made one-third of the original 7 Waratah Crescent site available to Southern Cross Care for Pearl’s dementia care facility and seniors health and fitness centre and rezoned the land back to community purpose use. The facilities were completed in 2025.

The commercial divestment of public land is therefore a government decision, not an unavoidable legal requirement. Yet instead of supporting an established aged-care provider to expand onto the remaining two-thirds of this public land, the government expects it to compete with private residential developers and pay the full commercial price.

At the same time, the NT Government is providing free land and $12 million for site servicing and design for an entirely new aged-care facility near Palmerston Regional Hospital, while the Commonwealth is contributing up to $60 million in project-specific funding.

Ozcare is an experienced Queensland provider but has no track record in the NT. It will have to build the facility, recruit and train an entire workforce, and establish its NT operation from scratch. This will undoubtedly take years.

The Palmerston facility is also unlikely to meet the Territory’s growing demand, while many Darwin residents will want aged-care places that allow them to remain close to family and community networks in Darwin.

Sadly, Minister Burgoyne’s response shows that the CLP Government prioritises private business interests over urgent community need.

Sonja Pastor, Fannie Bay