Planning and Environment Joshua Burgoyne MLA that our Lloyd Creek Rural Village Area Plan is going on public exhibition.
(For those who don't know, an Area Plan is an overaching master-planning document which sets out the principles for a proposed development area in the NT).
This is been a lengthy exercise, with the application first lodged on 9 March 2024 under the former Northern Territory Government.
Lloyd Creek Rural Village will be a high-quality rural residential community which responds to the local character of the NT Rural Area and preserves its amenity. The masterplanned community would eventually comprise some 4200 homes across a 2800ha land area, along with supporting infrastructure and amenities, and is likely to roll out over 30 years.
We know demand for a unique offering like this will be strong and meets an unmet need in the area.
The land was first identified for urban/peri-urban use in the Greater Darwin Regional Use Plan in 2014, but struggled in planning under its former incarnation as Noonamah Ridge. It culminated in a four dot-point rejection by former Minister for Planning Eva Lawler GAICD in early 2020.
The game changer for Lloyd Creek Rural Village is the Strauss Water Treatment Plant, now under construction and due for completion in 2026. This will let the project to connect new lots to reticulated water supply instead of using groundwater.
I think it is fair to say that the NT struggled economically for most of the last decade, with private investment slowing to a crawl. The mood for change was clear based on the resounding result of the August 2024 election.
Lia Finocchiaro MLA is leading a new government which has set its sights on reinvigorating the NT economy and making the Territory an attractive place for private investment again. Supporting something like this should be a no-brainer.
We'll see how the community responds after the exhibition period ends on 16 May.
I think most Territorians are ready to let us get on with this project. Just don't expect us to ever convince the NIMBYs to embrace change!