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Larrakia bid to halt Lee Point housing with heritage listing
Indigenous custodians seek emergency national heritage protection to stop a federal government housing development in Darwin.
In brief
Indigenous custodians seek emergency national heritage protection to stop a federal government housing development in Darwin. Larrakia custodians have applied for emergency heritage listing of Darwin's Lee Point to block a federal housing project for six hundred private and two hundred defence personnel houses…
Custodians seek heritage protection
Lorraine Williams and Tibby Quall have applied for emergency heritage listing to the Australian Heritage Council and federal environment minister to stop a housing development at Darwin's Lee Point.
The planned development
Defence Housing Australia plans to build six hundred private and two hundred defence personnel houses across one hundred thirty-two hectares at Lee Point.
Why the site matters
The Larrakia argue Lee Point should be protected as the Binybara cultural heritage landscape for its Indigenous, biodiversity and historical values. The site includes a registered sacred site and a sacred women's site.
“Our culture and our language is written into our lands; this Binybara land has a lot of stories written into it, and a lot of people want to protect it.”
Artefacts already found
During land clearing of one block, Defence Housing Australia uncovered Indigenous cultural artefacts including a grinding stone. The developer has built five houses so far.
Emergency listing strategy
The application requests a provisional emergency listing to halt further work while the full heritage assessment is considered. The nomination covers the whole peninsula, not just individual sites.
Ecological significance
Charles Darwin University scientists assessed Lee Point's tropical eucalyptus woodland as one of few remaining Darwin coastal habitats important for endangered species including the black-footed tree rat and the Gouldian finch.
What happens next
The Australian Heritage Council will assess the nomination against criteria requiring outstanding value to the nation. The federal environment minister will then accept or reject the council's recommendation.
Precedent for emergency listings
Emergency heritage nominations have halted developments before. Tasmania's Tarkine was listed in two thousand nine, stopping a commercial tourism road. Melbourne's St Kilda area was listed in two thousand seventeen, forcing major railway changes.
The big picture
Larrakia custodians have applied for emergency heritage listing of Darwin's Lee Point to block a federal housing project for six hundred private and two hundred defence personnel houses.
