Save Lee Point

People calling on government to stop clearing the old-growth forest and threatening endangered wildlife – Lee Point 31 March 2024.

The clearing of old-growth forest at Lee Point is a classic example of what should never happen. Why is DHA/Govt threatening endangered species at Lee Point when they could be building houses elsewhere?

It has been condemned by Dr Jane Goodall and many others. TAKE ACTION:

Sign this PETITION. (Save Lee Point Corridor Petition)

DHA (wholly owned by the taxpayer) says that it it is providing much needed housing for Darwin. However, none of it is affordable housing according to this Independent Housing Report on Lee Point.

Crowd listening to speakers at Lee Point/Binybara on 19 May 2024

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1.0 Has government abandoned its environmental offset policy?

Environmental offsets are only supposed to be used as a last resort after avoidance and mitigation measures have been exhausted. To date, there is no evidence that any other locations were investigated by DHA to avoid using an offset at Lee Point for the endangered Black-footed Tree-rat or endangered Gouldian Finch.

There are much better locations available for this defence housing project in Darwin – some potential sites for investigation are given below.

Map showing Lee Point peninsula – Stage 1, 2 cleared and 3 levelled, future clearing with a red border, 50m buffer for Gouldian Finches.

The measures taken to protect Gouldian finch habitat at Lee Point has been described by scientists we have spoken to as being “tokenistic”.

Clearing of Black-footed Tree-rat and Gouldian Finch habitat in Stage 2 and 3 by DHA, May 2024.

2.0 What happened to ending deforestation by 2030?

Australia along with over half the world’s nations have agreed to end and reverse deforestation by 2030. Lee Point peninsula is home to  ~700 old-growth trees and the DHA project will clear over half of them.

Protecting the old growth trees (tree hollows) at Lee Point is about protecting Darwin’s last wildlife corridor, Darwin’s biodiversity and ultimately the quality of life of future generations. Please read this executive summary

3.0  Why isn’t Government addressing Darwin’s housing affordability crisis?

Approximately 70% of the planned 740 houses at Lee Point are for the public, but these houses are not near (frequent) public transport and will not help address Darwin’s housing affordability crisis. The project should have a mix of affordable housing (refer independent housing report) and be located where it will deliver a public benefit – the taxpayer owns DHA and is underwriting this $400M housing project.

Most people prior to 2020 were unaware of the DHA development. Under the 2015 Notice of Intent (see Sec 2.2.2) it has buildings up to 12 storeys high proposed for Lee Point. A Gold Coast development but hotter?

Posts from Friends of Lee Point

Planning for Lee Point

Lee Point – a special part of Darwin

Darwin’s large woodland trees – a preliminary study

Lee Point: protecting critical habitat and Darwin’s last wildlife corridor

Images of 2021, Images of 2022, Images of 2023, Images of 2024

Images from Lee Point Biodiversity Corridor

The destruction of the Lee Point Biodiversity Corridor by government is not OK. Darwin needs sustainable development not an urban sprawl.

Stage 1 (out of a total of 8) was cleared in 2021 and Stage 2 and 3 cleared in May 2024 representing a 15-20% loss of the old-growth trees at Lee Point. Planning for Lee Point explains why we need a comprehensive Area Plan for the whole of Lee Point by the NT Planning Commission before any significant development should be allowed. Government is subsidising an urban sprawl at Lee Point that compromises the tourism industry. Who is benefiting from this? The Lee Point project is controversial

BACKGROUND

Lee Point is an irreplaceable asset that contains over half of Casuarina Coastal Reserve (CCR). CCR attracts over one million visits each year because of its natural beauty and rich biodiversity. Friends of Lee Point (FLP) is a non-profit Darwin community based group seeking to protect the Lee Point environment and our quality of life.

The Lee Point Area Plan approved in 2015 (without NT Planning Commission involvement) allows housing at Lee Point. This Plan is focused on the disused Defence land. Defence Housing Australia (DHA) which is wholly owned by the Australian Government has planned a development to house thousands of people on the Lee Point peninsula. This development is unnecessary and will lead to:

• severe impact on people’s enjoyment of the Lee Point peninsula,
• traffic congestion, increased travel time and car dependency,
• increased CO2 emissions,
• considerable loss of habitat and wildlife, and
• significant costs for the taxpayer.

In short, it leads to an urban sprawl; refer to Planning for Lee Point.