The company behind a controversial housing development has re-launched its bid to build thousands of homes in Darwin's rural area. But despite opposition from rural residents, the company Intrapac says its addressed those concerns. Now, the developer is trying it's luck again with the new government and with a new name. But they're asking for changes to the Northern Territory's planning scheme to allow the project.
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00:00On rugged rocky bushland almost 40 kilometres from Darwin, this is ground zero for a Melbourne
00:08developer's rural dream.
00:10Our vision for Lloyd Creek Rural Village is something that really speaks to that local
00:14rural character.
00:15This 2,600 hectare site is where the developer plans to build up to 4,000 homes in a major
00:21project spanning up to 30 years.
00:24Enveloping two town centres, Lloyd Creek would offer quarter acre and larger lots on former
00:30pastoral land just a stone's throw from the Nunamar Tavern.
00:33Lloyd Creek's not going to look anything like those new estates that are popping up around
00:37Darwin.
00:38It's very much designed to be a much larger lot.
00:43But this isn't Intrapac's first rodeo.
00:46After pushback from residents and former local member Kesea Purick, the company's last attempt
00:51to rezone the land for a project dubbed Nunamar Ridge was rejected by the government five
00:56years ago.
00:57It is the wrong area, it's the wrong kind of development and the government should soundly
01:01reject it again.
01:03But unlike the last proposal, Intrapac says the new project won't tap into local groundwater
01:08and responds to concerns development would change the character of the area.
01:13The planning minister Josh Burgoyne says he'll support the company's bid, as long as it meets
01:17community expectations.
01:19But many locals say it doesn't.
01:21It's not going to happen, it won't happen, because there's some people who like living
01:28out here in the freedom.
01:30People are going to be all crammed into this certain area, which isn't the rural lifestyle.
01:35As the Northern Territory struggles to boost housing supply and attract interstate migration,
01:40choosing the location for growth is proving tricky.
01:44But some argue the Lloyd Creek site is far from the best option.
01:47If Intrapac is so keen to have a presence in the Territory, go and talk to the NT government
01:53about developing Weddell, which already has big chunks of major infrastructure in place.
01:58We're not competing with Weddell, it's a very different offering.
02:02Weddell still has some significant infrastructure upgrades that it would require to get up and
02:07running as well.
02:08It's not a simple matter of there's land there, get on and develop it.
02:12The public can provide feedback on Intrapac's planning proposal until May 16.