A Legacy of Dumping
Parts of the Minmarama lease were used as Darwin’s municipal dump, expanded after Cyclone Tracy in 1974. Byrne Consultants (2023) confirm that uncontrolled waste and fill were placed across the lands, leaving a legacy of contamination that still requires assessment before development can safely proceed. In 2021, the NT Environment Department investigated stockpiles at Minmarama and confirmed the presence of asbestos-containing material. In the same year, the Northern Territory Government issued a tender for a Detailed Site Investigation and Remediation Action Plan at 213 Dick Ward Drive (Minmarama Park).
Case Study: The Seth Chin Block (Area 3)
The Byrne report identifies the Seth Chin block (Area 3) as a potential commercial/industrial site. It records visible asbestos fragments, uncontrolled dumping, and fill material of unknown origin. The report requires a full contaminated land assessment before any development can take place (Byrne 2023, pp. 53–64).
Darwin residents have observed that the Seth Chin block has already been cleared of all vegetation. This has been done before a full contaminated land assessment, as required in the Byrne report, has been made public.
Health Risks for Neighbours
Area 3 sits directly between Ostermann Street and the Kulaluk community. With the site cleared, neighbouring residents on both sides are now exposed to risk. In the dry season, asbestos fibres and contaminated dust can become airborne; in the wet season, runoff from the block is channelled into the new spoon drain behind Ostermann Street, which discharges into Ludmilla Creek. This creates a direct pathway for contaminants to move from the site into nearby suburbs and waterways. These risks do not stop at the lease boundary: Coconut Grove as a whole is downwind and downstream of the site, meaning the wider suburb also faces health and safety impacts. Byrne Consultants (2023) specifically warn of asbestos fragments and unknown fill material on the Chin block. Clearing before these hazards were assessed has already created health and safety risks for adjoining residents.
Rehabilitation First
The contamination legacy means that rehabilitation, not development, should have been the first priority for Area 3. Retaining vegetation cover could have stabilised soils and limited the spread of contaminants. By stripping the block bare, that opportunity has been lost. Any future work will now face higher costs and greater risks.
The Seth Chin block is the first example of the staged development approach outlined in the Byrne report: land cleared before contamination is addressed, creating risks for surrounding residents.
References
Byrne Consultants (Simon Byrne Pty Ltd t/as Byrne Consultants). (2023, August 10). Kulaluk and Minmarama Land Assessment Report (Revision C, Ref. No. 22077_R001_RevC). Prepared for the Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved from https://dhlgcd.nt.gov.au/media/documents/housing2/town-camps/kulaluk-minmarama-land-assessment-report.PDF
Key sections referenced (verified from the official NT Government PDF):
• p. 18 – Section 2.4.7 Flooding and Storm Surge (outlines fill levels and flood-risk mapping).
• p. 50 – Section 5 Planning (link to Darwin Mid Suburbs Area Plan and natural detention-basin role).
• pp. 53–64 – Section 6 Site-Specific Land Assessment – Area 3 (Seth Chin Block) (evidence of asbestos, uncontrolled fill, and contamination).
• p. 78 – Section 11 Stormwater Drainage (concludes drainage and detention-basin function).
• p. 84 – Section 12 Flooding and Storm Surge (flood-modelling summary).
• pp. 87–89 – Sections 12–13 (storm-surge mitigation and flood-management discussion).
• p. 97 – Section 15 Engineered Solutions – Earthworks and Drainage (earthworks and fill levels).
• p. 115 – Section 16 Indicative Infrastructure Costs (costings and implementation requirements).
Northern Territory Government – Department of Lands, Planning and Environment. (2021–2022). Minmarama stockpile investigations. Project page. Retrieved from https://environment.nt.gov.au/lands-planning/projects/minmarama-stockpile-investigations
Northern Territory Parliament. (2022, March 31). Answer to Written Question No. 324 – Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics. See entries for Q21-1037 “Darwin – Minmarama – Detailed Site Investigation” and “Minmarama Stockpiles – Detailed Site Investigation (SLR Consulting Pty Ltd)”. Retrieved from https://parliament.nt.gov.au/business/written-questions/wq/14th-assembly-written-questions/answers/Answer-to-Written-Question-324-Department-of-Infrastructure%2C-Planning-and-Logistics.pdf