The Australian and Northern Territory Governments have partnered to conduct a strategic assessment of the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct under Australia's national environmental law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Strategic assessments are landscape-scale assessments that take a big-picture approach to protecting Australia's unique environment and heritage while identifying potential areas for sustainable development.
Federal Minister for the Environment, Sussan Ley, said that the strategic assessment will provide greater clarity for those seeking to submit development plans for economically significant projects from advance manufacturing, low emissions minerals processing, hydrogen and gas production and other land uses, while protecting the environmental values of the precinct.
"The Strategic Assessment will identify and protect all environmentally significant areas, implement strategic offsets and identify those places where sustainable development can occur," Minister Ley said.
"By effectively providing a strategic environmental assessment in advance, we can better manage and reduce any cumulative environmental impacts, protect areas of environmental significance and provide a greater level of certainty for proponents.
"The Morrison Government is committed to assessment and approval processes that protect the environment without creating unnecessary duplication and delay that can cost our economy millions of dollars and jobs."
Northern Territory Government Minister for Environment, Hon Eva Lawler MLA said that the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct will centralise and elevate the Territory's energy industries, to become a globally competitive, sustainable precinct focusing on low emissions, renewable hydrogen, and minerals processing.
"Creating long term jobs is important to making sure the Territory rebounds from COVID-19," Minister Lawler said.
"Located on the Middle Arm Peninsula, the estate will provide a variety of lot sizes for sale or lease, to accommodate a diverse range of new and emerging industries.
"Environmental considerations are paramount in the development of the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct. Baseline investigations are underway, including identifying plant and animal biodiversity, marine environmental values, and air and water quality data to inform planning to protect environmental values during any future development.
"Working together, the Federal and Northern Territory governments will ensure the protection of environmentally significant animals, plants and habitats in the sustainable development precinct and Darwin Harbour, to ensure that the economic benefits of the area can be realised in an environmentally sustainable way."
The Northern Territory Government is developing a draft Program to identify the development activities permitted to be undertaken and a draft Strategic Impact Assessment Report to assess the impacts of implementing the Program on nationally protected matters.
Once finalised, these will be made available for public comment.
