The Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority (NT EPA) has released its assessment report recommending approval of the Noonamah Ridge Estate proposal.
The proposed site at Lloyd Creek is situated approximately 36 kilometres south-east of Darwin and seven kilometres east of Noonamah.
The project would be built over a period of 30 years providing up to 4200 residential lots, a new local town centre and associated services and infrastructure.
NT EPA Chairman, Dr Paul Vogel, said the EPA identified potentially significant environmental impacts and risks associated with the proposal and made 11 recommendations to avoid and mitigate those impacts.
A key recommendation includes a Planning Scheme Amendment that requires development and implementation of a management framework to protect the significant environmental values on the site prior to implementation of the first Development Application.
Dr Vogel said the framework will establish the process for developing specific management arrangements so that the construction of any planned infrastructure does not adversely impact any threatened species area or significant or sensitive vegetation protected within the agreed integrated conservation network where the Howard River toadlet (U. daviesae) or Cleome insolata are located.
“The key environmental factors considered in the report were: terrestrial flora and fauna, hydrological processes, inland water environmental quality, and social, economic and cultural surroundings,” Dr Vogel said.
“The NT EPA considers that provided the proposed recommendations are implemented the proposal would be environmentally acceptable”.
The NT EPA has provided its assessment report to Intrapac Projects Pty Ltd and the Minister for Environment and Natural Resources, Lauren Moss, for her consideration.
The Minister will then provide the report to the Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, who will then consider the report and decide whether to approve the NT Planning Scheme amendments under the Planning Act.
For the project to proceed the NT Planning Scheme also needs to be amended to rezone the site from "Rural" and "Rural Living” to a “Specific Use Zone”.
To obtain a copy of the assessment report please visit www.ntepa.nt.gov.au/environmental-assessments/register/noonamah
Media Contact – Department of Environment and Natural Resources – 0437 915 366