Preparing a Subregional Land Use Plan for Holtze to Elizabeth River

The Northern Territory Planning Commission has started a three-stage planning process to develop a subregional land use plan for the area surrounding Palmerston. The areas includes Greater 11 Mile, Greater Holtze, Virginia South-West, Archer and Mitchell West.

The preparation of the Holtze to Elizabeth River Subregional Land Use Plan will shape the growth of the area into to the future. It will support a strategy of maintaining a supply of serviced land for development and include consideration of transport and service infrastructure as well as land capability and environmental values.

This subregional plan builds on the overarching direction provided by the Darwin Regional Land Use Plan (2015).

The preparation of the subregional land use plan for Holtze to Elizabeth River seeks to:

• help the community to understand the challenges and contribute to a land use plan for the longer term.
• respond to the opportunities and constraints present.
• identify extensive areas for open space and/or conservation.
• respond to expectations around recreational use of the Pine Forest, which is freehold land.
• to identify optimal land uses within the study area to support the hierarchy of activity centres, with consideration given to the primacy of the Palmerston City Centre.

Further information is available within the Discussion Paper which is available to download from here - Stage One Discussion Paper.

What is a Subregional Land Use Plan?

A Subregional Land Use Plan is part of the strategic framework that forms part of the NT Planning Scheme. Subregional plans contain principles and objectives to give the community, industry and decision-makers confidence about future changes to land use.

The Holtze to Elizabeth River subregional plan will build on the broad direction in the overarching Darwin Regional Land Use Plan (DRLUP) 2015.

Both the Darwin Regional Land Use Plan and subsidiary subregional plans use broad land use categories. These categories group rural land uses such as agriculture, horticulture and rural living into a ‘Rural’ classification. Similarly residential, commercial and community purpose land uses are categorised into an Urban classification. Peri-urban term refers to small rural land holdings and similar.

It is a long-term plan that provides for urban growth in key locations, supports rural land uses and protects environmental and cultural assets within the subregion.

In the first stage of engagement on the project, between 27 May and 25 June 2021, the Northern Territory Planning Commission sought input from the community and interested parties on the Discussion Paper. The Planning Commission is now considering the feedback received.