Lee Point, Northern Territory: Difference between revisions

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Coordinates: 12°20′22″S 130°53′35″E / 12.33944°S 130.89306°E / -12.33944; 130.89306
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== Biodiversity ==
== Biodiversity ==
Lee Point is part of a largely undeveloped 27 kilometre tropical savannah corridor that runs from [[Casuarina Coastal Reserve]] to Shoal Bay Coastal Reserve, also inclusive of Buffalo Creek and Sandy Creek. It features sandy beaches, tidal flats, estuaries, dune systems, mangrove communities, [[Casuarina|Casuarina forests]], monsoon forests and an offshore marine area.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ecology and Heritage Partners |title=Lee Point Master-planned Urban Development – Environmental Impact Statement |url=https://ntepa.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/460773/draft_eis_lee_point_urban_dev.PDF |access-date=8 December 2023}}</ref>
Lee Point is part of a largely undeveloped 27 kilometre [[Tropical savanna climate|tropical savanna]] corridor that runs from [[Casuarina Coastal Reserve]] to Shoal Bay Coastal Reserve, also inclusive of Buffalo Creek and Sandy Creek. It features sandy beaches, tidal flats, estuaries, dune systems, mangrove communities, [[Casuarina|Casuarina forests]], monsoon forests and an offshore marine area.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ecology and Heritage Partners |title=Lee Point Master-planned Urban Development – Environmental Impact Statement |url=https://ntepa.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/460773/draft_eis_lee_point_urban_dev.PDF |access-date=8 December 2023}}</ref> It is the last remaining biodiversity corridor that connects the Darwin savanna woodland to the broader ecosystem across northern Australia.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Point |first=Friends of Lee |date=2022-12-30 |title=Darwin’s large woodland trees - a preliminary study |url=https://saveleepoint.org.au/darwins-large-woodland-trees-a-preliminary-study/ |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=Save Lee Point |language=en-AU}}</ref> Sensitive to [[climate change]], this tropical savanna ecosystem has met the criteria of collapsing.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bergstrom |first=Dana M. |last2=Wienecke |first2=Barbara C. |last3=van den Hoff |first3=John |last4=Hughes |first4=Lesley |last5=Lindenmayer |first5=David B. |last6=Ainsworth |first6=Tracy D. |last7=Baker |first7=Christopher M. |last8=Bland |first8=Lucie |last9=Bowman |first9=David M. J. S. |last10=Brooks |first10=Shaun T. |last11=Canadell |first11=Josep G. |last12=Constable |first12=Andrew J. |last13=Dafforn |first13=Katherine A. |last14=Depledge |first14=Michael H. |last15=Dickson |first15=Catherine R. |date=2021-05 |title=Combating ecosystem collapse from the tropics to the Antarctic |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.15539 |journal=Global Change Biology |language=en |volume=27 |issue=9 |pages=1692–1703 |doi=10.1111/gcb.15539 |issn=1354-1013}}</ref>


An important site for migratory shorebirds, Lee Point is also a regular habitat of the endangered [[Gouldian finch]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=2022-09-23 |title=Could this tiny, endangered bird stop a multi-million-dollar Defence housing development from going ahead? |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-24/lee-point-darwin-gouldian-finches-defence-housing-development/101452040 |access-date=2023-12-08}}</ref> It is also home to the endangered [[Black-footed tree-rat|black-footed tree rat]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rankmore |first=B |date=2003-07 |title=Species profile: Black-footed Tree-rat |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.5962/p.295547 |journal=Northern Territory Naturalist |volume=17 |pages=56–57 |doi=10.5962/p.295547 |issn=0155-4093}}</ref>
An internationally-significant site for migratory shorebirds, Lee Point is a significant habitat site for the endangered [[Gouldian finch]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=2022-09-23 |title=Could this tiny, endangered bird stop a multi-million-dollar Defence housing development from going ahead? |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-24/lee-point-darwin-gouldian-finches-defence-housing-development/101452040 |access-date=2023-12-08}}</ref> It is also home to the endangered [[Black-footed tree-rat|black-footed tree rat]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rankmore |first=B |date=2003-07 |title=Species profile: Black-footed Tree-rat |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.5962/p.295547 |journal=Northern Territory Naturalist |volume=17 |pages=56–57 |doi=10.5962/p.295547 |issn=0155-4093}}</ref>


== Development ==
== Development ==
Lee Point is not yet a developed suburb. The area has been long defended by environmental and Indigenous communities.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1997-05-28 |title=Aborigines occupy Lee Point {{!}} Green Left |url=https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/aborigines-occupy-lee-point |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=www.greenleft.org.au |language=en}}</ref>
Lee Point is not yet a developed suburb. It is the site of a controversial multi-million-dollar [[Defence Housing Australia]] housing project approved in 2019.<ref name=":1" /> It is proposing to see 800 houses built across 131 hectares of zoned residential land.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lee Point, Darwin {{!}} Residential developments {{!}} Defence Housing Australia |url=https://www.dha.gov.au/development/residential/lee-point |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=www.dha.gov.au}}</ref> While [[Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation]] initially supported the project, they withdrew support following growing community concerns about the project's environmental and cultural impact.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Morse |first=Callan |date=24 July 2023 |title=Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation withdraws support for Binybara/Lee Point development |url=https://nit.com.au/24-07-2023/6916/larrakia-nation-withdraw-support-for-defence-housing-australia-development-at-binybaralee-point |access-date=8 December 2023}}</ref> The development is particularly considered a threat to the finch population as they lay their eggs in tree hollows.<ref name=":0" />


Federal approval of the project was halted in 2022<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-06-19 |title=Residents devastated after environment minister approves housing project that could impact Gouldian finches |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-20/tanya-plibersek-lee-point-defence-housing-project-gouldian-finch/102493770 |access-date=2023-12-08}}</ref> upon growing sightings of the rebounding Gouldian Finch population.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-06-11 |title=Twitchers are flocking to a surprise location for one of Australia's rarest bird sightings |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-12/gouldian-finch-birdlife-australia-rarest-birds-lee-point/101142478 |access-date=2023-12-08}}</ref> Original approval conditions were then changed to include a four hectare wildlife corridor around their habitat area.<ref name=":2" /> Upon commencement of land clearing, there were community protests which saw 11 arrests. Danggalaba Kulumbirigin traditional owners made an emergency application to Federal Environment Minister [[Tanya Plibersek]] to have it ceased, on the grounds of protecting Aboriginal cultural heritage.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=2023-07-07 |title=Bulldozers stopped at Lee Point after cultural heritage injunction |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-08/lee-point-land-clearing-cultural-heritage-application/102577448 |access-date=2023-12-08}}</ref> Defence Housing Australia voluntarily stopped work on the project until March 31 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-08-04 |title=Defence Housing Australia puts Darwin's Lee Point development on hold until 2024 |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-04/larrakia-nation-defence-housing-australia-lee-point-development/102687674 |access-date=2023-12-08}}</ref>
It is the site of a controversial multi-million-dollar [[Defence Housing Australia]] housing project approved in 2019.<ref name=":1" /> It is proposing to see 800 houses built across 131 hectares of zoned residential land causing community concern about the project's environmental and cultural impact.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lee Point, Darwin {{!}} Residential developments {{!}} Defence Housing Australia |url=https://www.dha.gov.au/development/residential/lee-point |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=www.dha.gov.au}}</ref> The development is particularly considered a threat to the Gouldian finch population as they lay their eggs in tree hollows.<ref name=":0" />
Federal approval of the project was halted in 2022<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-06-19 |title=Residents devastated after environment minister approves housing project that could impact Gouldian finches |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-20/tanya-plibersek-lee-point-defence-housing-project-gouldian-finch/102493770 |access-date=2023-12-08}}</ref> upon growing sightings of the rebounding Gouldian Finch population.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-06-11 |title=Twitchers are flocking to a surprise location for one of Australia's rarest bird sightings |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-12/gouldian-finch-birdlife-australia-rarest-birds-lee-point/101142478 |access-date=2023-12-08}}</ref> Original approval conditions were then changed to include a four hectare wildlife corridor around their habitat area.<ref name=":2" /> Upon commencement of land clearing, there were community protests which saw 11 arrests. Danggalaba Kulumbirigin traditional owners made an emergency application to Federal Environment Minister [[Tanya Plibersek]] to have it ceased, on the grounds of protecting Aboriginal cultural heritage.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=2023-07-07 |title=Bulldozers stopped at Lee Point after cultural heritage injunction |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-08/lee-point-land-clearing-cultural-heritage-application/102577448 |access-date=2023-12-08}}</ref> While [[Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation]] initially supported the project, they withdrew support.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Morse |first=Callan |date=24 July 2023 |title=Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation withdraws support for Binybara/Lee Point development |url=https://nit.com.au/24-07-2023/6916/larrakia-nation-withdraw-support-for-defence-housing-australia-development-at-binybaralee-point |access-date=8 December 2023}}</ref>
Defence Housing Australia voluntarily stopped work on the project until March 31 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-08-04 |title=Defence Housing Australia puts Darwin's Lee Point development on hold until 2024 |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-04/larrakia-nation-defence-housing-australia-lee-point-development/102687674 |access-date=2023-12-08}}</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 05:10, 8 December 2023

Lee Point
Darwin, Northern Territory
Beach at Lee Point
Lee Point is located in Darwin, Australia
Lee Point
Lee Point
Coordinates12°20′22″S 130°53′35″E / 12.33944°S 130.89306°E / -12.33944; 130.89306
Population94 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density3.032/km2 (7.85/sq mi)
Established1869
Postcode(s)0810
Area31.0 km2 (12.0 sq mi)
Location18 km (11 mi) from Darwin City
LGA(s)City of Darwin
Territory electorate(s)Casuarina
Federal division(s)Solomon
Suburbs around Lee Point:
Beagle Gulf Beagle Gulf Beagle Gulf
Beagle Gulf
Darwin Harbour		 Lee Point Buffalo Creek
Darwin Harbour
Tiwi		 Tiwi
Lyons
Muirhead
Leanyer		 Buffalo Creek
Leanyer
FootnotesAdjoining suburbs[2][3]

Lee Point is a northern suburb and coastal region of the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. It is on traditional Country and waterways of the Larrakia people.[4]

History

The area is known to the Larrakia people as Binybara,[5] and has been described as a 'sacred... a living and breathing archive".[6]

The suburb name is derived from the point "Lee Point" which appears on George Goyder's 1869 Plan of Port Darwin and likely dates back to Stokes' examination of the harbour in 1839.[7]

It is a popular nature reserve and recreational area, also featuring a picnic area, hotel and caravan park.

It is also the site of a number of World War II heritage sites. Along the cycle path which runs from Lee Point to Brinkin is a preserved bunker built between 1939 and 1941 as part of Australia's coastal defence strategy.[8]

Biodiversity

Lee Point is part of a largely undeveloped 27 kilometre tropical savanna corridor that runs from Casuarina Coastal Reserve to Shoal Bay Coastal Reserve, also inclusive of Buffalo Creek and Sandy Creek. It features sandy beaches, tidal flats, estuaries, dune systems, mangrove communities, Casuarina forests, monsoon forests and an offshore marine area.[9] It is the last remaining biodiversity corridor that connects the Darwin savanna woodland to the broader ecosystem across northern Australia.[10] Sensitive to climate change, this tropical savanna ecosystem has met the criteria of collapsing.[11]

An internationally-significant site for migratory shorebirds, Lee Point is a significant habitat site for the endangered Gouldian finch.[12] It is also home to the endangered black-footed tree rat.[13]

Development

Lee Point is not yet a developed suburb. The area has been long defended by environmental and Indigenous communities.[14]

It is the site of a controversial multi-million-dollar Defence Housing Australia housing project approved in 2019.[12] It is proposing to see 800 houses built across 131 hectares of zoned residential land causing community concern about the project's environmental and cultural impact.[15] The development is particularly considered a threat to the Gouldian finch population as they lay their eggs in tree hollows.[6]

Federal approval of the project was halted in 2022[16] upon growing sightings of the rebounding Gouldian Finch population.[17] Original approval conditions were then changed to include a four hectare wildlife corridor around their habitat area.[18] Upon commencement of land clearing, there were community protests which saw 11 arrests. Danggalaba Kulumbirigin traditional owners made an emergency application to Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to have it ceased, on the grounds of protecting Aboriginal cultural heritage.[6][18] While Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation initially supported the project, they withdrew support.[19]

Defence Housing Australia voluntarily stopped work on the project until March 31 2024.[20]

References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Lee Point (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2017. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ "Lee Point". NT Atlas and Spatial Data Directory. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Darwin City Council Suburbs" (PDF). Place Names Committee. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  4. ^ "Home | Larrakia Development Corporation". www.larrakia.com.au. 9 February 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  5. ^ "HOME". Save Lee Point. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Abbatangelo, Ben (11 July 2023). "Binybara is not just home to the Gouldian finch. It's part of the Larrakia nation. And it deserves protection". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Territory Stories - Territory Stories". territorystories.nt.gov.au. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  8. ^ "WWII Observation Post, Sandy Creek". Northern Territory. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  9. ^ Ecology and Heritage Partners. "Lee Point Master-planned Urban Development – Environmental Impact Statement" (PDF). Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  10. ^ Point, Friends of Lee (30 December 2022). "Darwin's large woodland trees - a preliminary study". Save Lee Point. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  11. ^ Bergstrom, Dana M.; Wienecke, Barbara C.; van den Hoff, John; Hughes, Lesley; Lindenmayer, David B.; Ainsworth, Tracy D.; Baker, Christopher M.; Bland, Lucie; Bowman, David M. J. S.; Brooks, Shaun T.; Canadell, Josep G.; Constable, Andrew J.; Dafforn, Katherine A.; Depledge, Michael H.; Dickson, Catherine R. (2021-05). "Combating ecosystem collapse from the tropics to the Antarctic". Global Change Biology. 27 (9): 1692–1703. doi:10.1111/gcb.15539. ISSN 1354-1013. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ a b "Could this tiny, endangered bird stop a multi-million-dollar Defence housing development from going ahead?". ABC News. 23 September 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  13. ^ Rankmore, B (2003-07). "Species profile: Black-footed Tree-rat". Northern Territory Naturalist. 17: 56–57. doi:10.5962/p.295547. ISSN 0155-4093. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "Aborigines occupy Lee Point | Green Left". www.greenleft.org.au. 28 May 1997. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Lee Point, Darwin | Residential developments | Defence Housing Australia". www.dha.gov.au. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  16. ^ "Residents devastated after environment minister approves housing project that could impact Gouldian finches". ABC News. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Twitchers are flocking to a surprise location for one of Australia's rarest bird sightings". ABC News. 11 June 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  18. ^ a b "Bulldozers stopped at Lee Point after cultural heritage injunction". ABC News. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  19. ^ Morse, Callan (24 July 2023). "Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation withdraws support for Binybara/Lee Point development". Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Defence Housing Australia puts Darwin's Lee Point development on hold until 2024". ABC News. 4 August 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lee Point, Northern Territory.
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