City of Darwin Public Forum
About 40 vocal community members attended the 27/01/2026 City of Darwin public forum held just before the Ordinary Council Meeting and raised serious concerns about the Lee Point development, including erosion and stormwater impacts already being observed, worsening traffic congestion, and the risk that Council and ratepayers may inherit significant long-term infrastructure and maintenance liabilities from cumulative impacts.
Cumulative Impacts already being felt, and what later stages could drive
Residents described traffic, erosion and stormwater impacts already being felt from earlier stages in Lyons and Muirhead, and raised the concern that subsequent stages would require additional Lee Point Road upgrades or widening, driving further land clearing and increasing pressure on Darwin’s remaining functional wildlife corridor supporting endangered species movement and habitat.
Lord Mayor comments
At the public forum, Peter Styles repeatedly claimed the remaining stages of the Lee Point development were effectively locked in or a done deal. He said the development could not be stopped now and that Council could only take meaningful action once it is complete, by applying an acceptance process to assess whether a checklist of conditions had been met, and that if those conditions were met Council would be legally obliged to accept municipal assets.
What community members called for
Ratepayers challenged this position and called for an immediate transparent analysis of costs and risks, using existing studies for affordability. They also called for transparent disclosure of expected developer contributions compared with the full lifecycle costs that Council and ratepayers could be left to fund, particularly in relation to roads, erosion and long-term maintenance. Speakers also raised concern that ratepayers would be left subsidising a development where 70 percent of dwellings are intended for private sale and profit by Defence Housing Australia, a Commonwealth-owned developer that operates commercially.
Lot 9370 and public land transparency
It’s also worth noting that Lot 9370, which is 51.17 hectares and a key part of the Lee Point footprint earmarked for future residential subdivision, Muirhead North, was Northern Territory Crown land held in trust for the people of the Northern Territory until 2019, when it was granted to Defence Housing Australia under a Crown lease.
NT EPA Notice of Intent: https://ntepa.nt.gov.au/_resources/documents/eia/lee-point-urban-development/noi_lee_point.pdf
Under the Crown Lands Act, Crown land leases are normally preceded by an open process such as inviting applications or offering the lease by auction, tender or ballot, but the Act also allows the Minister to grant a lease directly by signing an instrument in writing, without those open steps.
https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nt/consol_act/cla1992134/s12.html
At the same time, the lease structure sets up a pathway for the land to be subdivided and for new lots to be converted to freehold for sale.
NT EPA Notice of Intent: https://ntepa.nt.gov.au/_resources/documents/eia/lee-point-urban-development/noi_lee_point.pdf
When lots are sold, sale proceeds go to DHA, a Commonwealth-owned developer, rather than remaining as an NT public asset.
https://www.finance.gov.au/government/government-business-enterprises/defence-housing-australia-dha
Council Meeting Lee Point agenda items
After the public forum, the Ordinary Council Meeting considered Lee Point agenda items, including a quote for independent legal advice on Council’s powers, obligations, risks and discretion around future asset acceptance at Lee Point, plus a quote for a detailed business case and comprehensive report costing $500,000 to $1,000,000 and taking about 6 months. People who attended said Council did not vote to progress those items on the night.
City of Darwin, Open Agenda, Ordinary Council Meeting 27 January 2026, Lee Point items (Action Reports, starting p 81): https://www.darwin.nt.gov.au/sites/default/files/file/agendas/Open%20Agenda%20Ordinary%20Council%20Meeting%2027%20January%202026_0.pdf