Area Plans for Darwin's Inner Suburbs
The NT Planning Commission expects that Darwin's population to double in 40-50 years. The NT Government intends to densify by infill developments in Darwin's Inner Suburbs, from Stuart Park to the Narrows. This is as well as the Darwin CBD doubling in size.
PLan, and a new allied group called Planning for People, are very concerned about applications for incompatible spot rezonings for high rise residential which have even now begun to occur.
Developers are assuming they can use land zoned for open space and land zoned for community purposes in their plans for new high rise developments. Incompatible proposals are impacting on the low rise residential character of existing inner suburbs. Disruptions of lives are already occurring...
So far sites in Goyder Road in Parap, and Blake Street in the Gardens are already under threat of redevelopment. At the Gardens (Lot 7820, 4 Blake Street) two nine storey apartment buildings are foreshadowed. In a second larger plan, Gardens Hill, part of the Botanic Gardens, and the Amphitheatre are threatened. The home values of residents are severely compromised and our rights at risk.
Months ago, Planning Commissioner Gary Nairn declared that SPOT ZONINGS DID NOT EQUATE TO STRATEGIC PLANNING. He moved to arrange for public consultation on indicative Area Plans for inner Darwin suburbs from The Gardens to The Narrows.
We had understood from him that the full consultation and drafting process lasting at least until late in 2015, would occur before any SPOT ZONINGS could take place.
However, in spite of a 2.5 hour face to face information session with Minister Tollner, and an on - site meeting with the David Tollner, attended by about three hundred Darwin people last Saturday, the Minister said intends to make a decision on the developer's spot rezoning application for Lot 7820, 4 Blake Street, on Friday, 10 July, 2015. This could be disastrous.
For your information, the Area Plan 'consultation process' is currently detailed on the NT Planning Commission website, click here.
As community feedback has already expressed dissatisfaction about this process and its content about the Area Plan ideas, please do not assume it has our support. Nevertheless it is the NT Government official process of advising and 'consulting' with the public.
Another relevant document is the NTG Planning Compact Policy which is Northern Territory Planning Scheme Amendment no. 387, recently signed off by Planning Minister Tollner which is set to change the face of Darwin.
