Most of Darwin believe that the DHA housing project should not be located at Lee Point but elsewhere. There are many reasons for this, avoiding a significant environmental impact at Lee Point and Darwin’s housing affordability crisis are some.
DHA is wholly owned by the Australian Taxpayer and currently represented by two federal ministers. Approx 30% of the planned (740) houses at Lee Point are to be used by defence personnel.
Problems with Lee Point as a location
Housing thousands of people at Lee Point will harm Darwin because it;
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- does not address Darwin’s affordable housing crisis,
- increases traffic congestion, fuel costs/CO2 emissions,
- threatens endangered species, and
- significantly impacts on Darwin’s last wildlife corridor.
Darwin has a housing affordability crisis and there is an urgent need to increase the supply of affordable homes. The Australian Government’s Help to Buy scheme assists people in the low-medium income bracket to buy a house. To qualify for this scheme, the Darwin house price must not exceed $0.6M. Houses at Lee Point are valued in the order of $0.8M.
Currently, the Lee Point DHA project is highly unlikely to indirectly deliver any affordable housing in the broader Darwin community – refer Independent Housing Report on Lee Point.
Government housing developers should be making efficient use of land, infrastructure and services, and should house people near to jobs and public transport – housing defence personnel at Lee Point does none of these things.
Planning for Lee Point has further information.
Actions needed
The DHA housing project needs to be relocated and rescoped now to avoid the problems mentioned above.
Relocation – Possible locations include to Berrimah, Holtze – refer Fig 1, or near the Stuart Highway (subject to an independent evaluation report), as these are near defence bases (jobs) and transport.
Fig 1. Map showing Northcrest and Holtz Darwin (white dots) and Darwin’s last Wildlife Corridor (in green).
Rescoping – The project would include some affordable housing with these dwellings being located near frequent public transport.
Housing projects are underway at Berrimah (Northcrest) and Holtze and it is expected that DHA housing (and affordable houses) could be built relatively quickly at either of these two locations.
In terms of the existing location (refer Fig 2), Stage 2 & 3 would be abandoned allowing the area to naturally regenerate (as it is happening now but with invasive weed control treatment). The major investment in Stage 2 & 3 has been in a stormwater pipe stockpile – these pipes could be reused at a new location or sold off.
Timing – It is important that actions are taken immediately to avoid further disruption to the Lee Point Biodiversity Corridor, refer Fig 2.
Fig 2. Map showing Lee Point peninsula. Stage 1 has been built on, Stage 2-3 is regenerating after bulldozing in May 2024, future clearing has a red border.
Benefits from relocation/rescoping the DHA housing project
These benefits assume the new DHA housing location will be at Berrimah, Holtze or a similar area near the Stuart Highway/Darwin defence bases, ten benefits are:
- Cost of Living – Defence personnel will have reduced travel costs (saving up to half of fuel cost) being much closer to defence jobs. They will have greater access to public transport, be more likely to cycle to work, and have less need of a second car.
- Affordable housing – It increases the supply of affordable homes and with the Australian Government’s “Help to Buy” scheme allow more people in low-medium income bracket to buy a home.
- Climate Change – CO2 emissions are reduced from halving car travel and retaining old-growth forests.
- Community health and wellbeing – Respects the Larrakia people (traditional owners) wishes to have the housing located elsewhere. Avoids a severe impact on people’s enjoyment of Lee Point and problems of biting insects and sewage odours at Lee Point. There is no school near Lee Point.
- Traffic congestion – avoids increased traffic congestion due to more car use and expensive upgrades such as Vanderlin Drive roundabout and duplication of Lee Point Road.
- Tourism – does not compromise Lee Point’s significant eco-tourism potential.
- Savings for taxpayer – avoids the high infrastructure and services cost associated with an urban sprawl.
- Darwin’s biodiversity – avoids a significant environmental impact at Lee Point and a significant loss of old-growth trees in Darwin’s last wildlife corridor.
- Threatened species – avoids threatening endangered species at Lee Point.
- Community concern – addresses the concern about why Territorians are supporting high-cost infrastructure/housing at Lee Point when Darwin has a housing affordability crisis.
Commitments from the 2022 federal election on Lee Point
In the 2022 federal election, the successful Solomon candidate Luke Gosling MP said;
“If I am re-elected as the Member for Solomon, I will continue to encourage DHA to consider other locations, such as Berrimah and Palmerston, potentially reducing the development footprint on Lee Point.”
Read what other candidates said:
NT Senate Candidate Survey 2022
Future directions
The Australian taxpayer, in particular people living in the Solomon electorate, need to have a say on this important project for Darwin. To date, no government report is available to the public on what other locations were considered for the DHA housing project.
The problems at Lee Point and the lack of affordable housing are real problems. It is time an independent body was involved to evaluate the long-term public benefit of having the DHA project at different housing locations in Darwin.