Draft Humpty Doo Rural Activity Centre Area Plan

The NT Planning Commission has been consulting with community and stakeholders to prepare a land use plan for the Humpty Doo Rural Activity Centre since 2018.

The Humpty Doo Rural Activity Centre Area Plan (HDAP) is a plan for the long term, facilitating development of new urban residential and rural residential land, additional commercial and tourist commercial opportunities within the existing activity centre, expansion of community facilities and public open space. The HDAP also integrates land use transport planning by identifying and confirming locations for new road networks and service infrastructure to support the Arnhem Highway duplication project.

The HDAP supports the land use concept plans and policies for Litchfield’s activity centres contained within the Litchfield Subregional Land Use Plan (2016), by providing a detailed planning framework for the Humpty Doo Rural Activity Centre.

The Planning Commission’s third stage of consultation in the preparation of the HDAP, referred to as Stage 2B, occurred in May and June 2023. This stage of consultation asked community and stakeholders to consider and provide feedback on a draft area plan incorporating the outcomes of the Arnhem Highway Duplication Planning Study including, a North-South connection either side of Arnhem Highway.

Key matters raised during Stage 2B consultation included:

• protection of waterways, lagoons and seasonal wetlands;
• identification of ecologically significant fauna and flora populations and habitat;
• rural character and amenity;
• concerns about additional traffic and associated light and noise population;
• infrastructure and the capability of infrastructure to service a growing population; and
• community facilities, including pedestrian and shared path networks.

Taking into account feedback received through 3 stages of community and stakeholder engagement and a range of technical and specialist advice, the Planning Commission has now finalised the draft HDAP. The Planning Commission has requested the Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics consider amending the NT Planning Scheme 2020 to include the HDAP.

The Minister has decided to consider the request and the Area Plan and supporting documentation is now on public exhibition as a proposed planning scheme amendment. This presents an additional opportunity to review and make a submission on the Area Plan, which will ultimately be considered by the Minister.

The proposed planning scheme amendment will be on exhibition from Friday 5 July 2024 to Friday 2 August 2024.

To view the planning scheme amendment or to make a submission visit Development Applications Online