Greetings Friends,
This monthly newsletter (No. 49) includes, Conservation matters, legal challenges and missing reports, federal election and signs, quiz, plants and wildlife.
1.0 Conservation matters
Cost of saving threatened species – Griffin University has just listed 39 species likely to go extinct in the next 20 years. They found the financial cost of removing (99) rare species off the threatened list to be prohibitively expensive – refer Yahoo News
Solving “a problem Australia can’t afford to fix” means avoiding the problem in the first place.
FLP believe that conserving the Lee Point/Darwin’s Wildlife Corridor, made up of connected savanna habitat with old growth trees (tree hollows), is one of the best and most affordable ways to keep Darwin’s wildlife – having Darwin as a city of birds will benefit everyone.
Fig 1. Map showing Darwin Wildlife Corridor (in green).
Gouldian Finch numbers decline near Kununurra – It is likely that the loss of quality habitat, fragmentation and weeds have led to a decline in Gouldian Finch numbers at Kimberley’s Ord Valley. The WA Government is currently under federal investigation for the decline – refer ABC News article
Australian Geographic – Dr Amanda Lilleyman was interviewed by Australian Geographic Travel. Amanda believes there are incredible opportunities present in the Northern Territory for nature-based tourism. Lee Point was featured – see 20 min interview
Fig 2. Dr Amanda Lilleyman with tagged Eastern Curlew in 2021 – photo Gavin O’Brien
2.0 Legal challenges and missing reports
Unacceptable Impact (7 min ABC video) provides background on the Lee Point DHA Apr/May 2024 clearing and cultural heritage complaints.
NT Government – The complaints have triggered legal challenges, including:
- FLP vs Development Consent Authority (DCA). DCA decided that the breach to the NT Planning Act (in Apr/May 2024) was no longer continuing and no further action was warranted. FLP have asked NTCAT to review the DCA decision – read more
- Tibby Quall (Larrakia Elder) vs NT Government over lack of consultation for removal of artefacts from DHA site – refer SBS Post
Fig 3. Tibby Quall – image sourced from SBS.
Federal Government – The Lee Point DHA Apr/May 2024 clearing at Lee Point is also under investigation at a federal level – refer NT Independent
Trespassing charges dropped – Gayle Laidlaw, the last arrestee from the Lee Point Apr/May 2024 clearing, had all her trespassing charges dropped by police on the 11 Feb. She was due to go to court on the 17 and 18 Feb – read more.
Missing reports – hundreds of scientists have called on government to find an alternative location for the Lee Point housing project. The current site requires an “environmental offset” – an action only to be taken only as a last resort after avoidance/mitigation measures have been exhausted, refer federal government’s Offset Mitigation Hierarchy
FLP have made numerous requests to the Australian Government for reports on what other sites were considered to:
- avoid an environmental offset at Lee Point or
- optimise long term public benefit from defence housing projects
No reports have been received so far.
Larrakia (tradititonal owners of Darwin) want the housing to go elsewhere. The Lee Point DHA housing project does not deliver any affordable housing – refer Planning for Lee Point
Lee Point DHA Gouldian Finch survey report – DHA undertook surveys in 2022 but no survey report has been made available – another missing report?
3.0 Election and signs
Federal election candidate survey 2022 – The majority of candidates in 2022 wanted “…a moratorium on the current DHA housing development at Lee Point until the Public Works Committee has completed a comprehensive report on its public benefit.”
NT Senate Candidate Survey 2022
Paintathlon – FLP held a 2-hour Paintathlon event at the Darwin Community Arts centre on the 8 Feb 2025. Approx. 30 signs were created.
Fig 4. Some of the people and signs at the Paintathlon.
4.0 Quiz
Q1. This raptor mainly hunts birds but will also take small animals from the ground. It can be seen around Lee Point and Darwin. What is its name?
Fig 5. Raptor – photo Feb 2025
5.0 Plants and Wildlife
The wet season brings lots of interesting flora, fauna, and fungi to Lee Point.
Fig 6. Spermacoce spp is common herb in the woodland areas.
Fig 7. Jumping Spiders have excellent vision and are inquisitive.
Fig 8. A Long-legged Fly from the family Dolichopodidae
Fig 9. Moth is possibly a Berta spp.
Fig 10. Fungi fruiting in a monsoon vine forest.
Without fungi recycling organic matter there would be no old-growth forests.
Wilderness Walks
Wilderness Walks record between 25 to 50 bird species(according to time of year), refer ebird for latest sightings. Please check Friends of Lee Point Facebook for times.
Enjoy the monsoon
Answers to Quiz
Answer Q1 – A juvenile Brown Goshawk.
Small birds, such as finches, avoid flying over large open areas because of predators like this. Using a wildlife corridor is a much safer option.