Consultation on the strategic policy discussion paper closes on 30 June and is accessible via the NT Government’s hub. Photo: File.
The Northern Territory Planning Commission has opened consultation on the future use of land made available by the government, following a $200 million commitment towards the practice in its recent budget.
Residential subdivisions are being delivered across the Top End, from Alice Springs to Katherine. Most recently, the NT Government awarded a developer contract for Holtze (the Holtze Land Company) to provide 550 lots by next year.
Kilgariff in Alice Springs will title a further 36 lots for sale in the coming months, on top of the 31 already covered. Six titled lots are for sale in Chittock Crescent at Tennant Creek, with planning underway for a further 50 lots. Meanwhile, Katherine East has made 54 untitled lots available for sale and ready for transfer soon, with the potential for 28 more lots that are yet to be delivered under a development agreement.
In lieu of this, the government has released a discussion paper providing context to strategic planning in the NT.
As part of a three-phase consultation process, the Planning Commission is seeking feedback from industry, stakeholders and the public to help better understand and respond to the issues and aspirations for future land use and development.
The discussion paper identifies a range of topics to underpin its development of a strategic policy, including the relation to strategic planning’s defined role and potential high-level strategic policy directions.
This Strategic Directions Planning Policy will provide an overarching, high-level framework to guide strategic land use and development decisions.
It will establish strategic planning directions to further the objectives of the NT Planning Act 1999, by delivering them through new and updated plans and policies contained within the NT Planning Scheme 2020.
Together, these plans and policies will inform how and where change can take place – whether it be in city and town centres, suburbs or regional communities.
According to Planning Commission chairman Dr David Ritchie, this consultation is the first step towards delivering the strategic planning policy that will frame and inform all future strategic land use planning across the entire jurisdiction.
“The Planning Commission has been fortunate to have worked with the community on the development of many strategic land use plans,” Dr Ritchie said.
“The discussion paper seeks to recognise and build on what the community has previously communicated, provides a background on the NT’s social, economic and environmental context and outlines some initial future goals and measures.”
Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Joel Bowden said he was looking forward to hearing what the community had to say about how the Territory should grow and develop its land resources.
“I welcome the NT Planning Commission’s consultation on this important work and encourage all Territorians to have their say on the discussion paper,” Minister Bowden said.
