{
  "id": 14083130,
  "title": "Ministers and Aboriginal custodians divided over Darwin housing development",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/ministers-and-aboriginal-custodians-divided-over-darwin-housing",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-13T01:08:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-13/lee-point-federal-governement-ministers-lobby-stop-development/107255460"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Defence Housing Australia is constructing 200 defence homes and 600 housing lots for private sale at Lee Point, located in Darwin's northern suburbs. However, this project has sparked controversy due to lobbying by federal and territory Labor members. This opposition has angered a Larrakia custodian, Helen Secretary, who claims that one of her sacred sites is being wrongfully used to hinder the development. Some Larrakia leaders assert that the plan necessitates land clearing on culturally significant land. Federal government ministers responsible for the new housing estates in Darwin's Lee Point are facing increased pressure to halt the controversial development from their cabinet colleagues.\n\nThe cabinet pressure and lobbying from Territory Labor have exposed deep divisions within Darwin's Larrakia Indigenous community regarding whether concerns about sacred sites should prevent the project. While many Larrakia members oppose the development, custodian Helen Secretary has now voiced her support for it. She accuses opponents of unfairly attempting to stop the project to protect sacred sites. Ms Secretary explained that the sacred site Binybara, a reef at the tip of Lee Point, is not within the area where Defence is conducting clearing. She emphasized that Defence has been consulting with Larrakia people and working collaboratively under cultural heritage monitoring.\n\nAnother Larrakia custodian, Lorraine Juwayning Williams, strongly opposes the development, stating that it would impact a sacred area. She feels that Larrakia people are being pressured to support the development. Custodian Tibby Quall recently halted the clearing for several months by arguing in the NTCAT tribunal against the removal of Indigenous stone tools. Defence Housing Australia claimed that the stop work order has since been lifted.\n\nThe Friends of Lee Point community group, concerned about the development from an environmental standpoint, has intensified its campaign. Their convenor, Ian Redmond, complained to the National Environment Protection Agency that the government's plan to protect the endangered black-footed tree-rat population may not be adequate. Additionally, Dr. Amanda Lilleyman expressed doubts about the sufficiency of the offered habitat for the endangered Gouldian finch. Defence Housing Australia stated that they have submitted a Gouldian finch offset plan to the federal environment department, which will be published upon approval.\n\nNorthern Territory Labor Opposition MLA Ed Smelt joined the lobbying effort to stop the development by taking one of the responsible federal government ministers, Katy Gallagher, to see Lee Point. He reported that Gallagher accepted the concerns about outstanding cultural and environmental heritage and understood the constituents' issues. Ms McCarthy, the federal government minister, mentioned that the question of whether the housing estates should be built at Berrimah instead of Lee Point is for Senator Gallagher to decide. However, she expressed her advocacy for building the estates at Berrimah, a 123-hectare surplus land site.",
  "summary": "The federal Labor government is facing pressure to reconsider its housing development project at Lee Point. While some local Aboriginal Larrakia people argue the project will interfere with sacred sites, other Larrakia people say it's an illegitimate concern.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": "The internal friction among Larrakia custodians and political leaders highlights how housing demands can fracture Indigenous communities and complicate the management of culturally significant land and endangered species.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}