Justin Tutty, Darwin
The latest instalment in the rapid industrialisation of Darwin is the proposal for a coastal industrial estate at Glyde Point, on the Gunn Point Peninsula — the eastern-most arm of Darwin Harbour.
The proposal is vast by any measure, consisting of five stages over 30 years and encompassing an area of more than 4000 hectares. The industrial estate would require over 1,500 hectares of mangrove clearing and ocean reclamation. The development would also entail further coastal clearing on the peninsula for workers' accommodation.
The area covered by the proposal is environmentally sensitive, encompassing diverse mangroves, vine rainforests, coral reefs and dugong feeding grounds. Bordering on Leaders Creek — a popular fishing destination — the site is home to threatened species including the Red Goshawk, the Gouldian Finch, the Loggerhead Turtle, the dugong, the Northern River Shark and the White-bellied Sea Eagle.
The proponent of the industrial estate, the NT Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment, is the same department that has been tasked with carrying out an environmental assessment of the project — a clear conflict of interest.
Despite an election promise to develop a greenhouse strategy for the Northern Territory, the ALP government has dragged its feet on this important environmental commitment. The development of a "Greenhouse Strategy" document has limped along, while the rush to develop fossil-fuelled industry continues. The document made the draft stage, but the promised consultation was never pursued.
The draft, which has stalled in front of cabinet, fails to live up to its title, offering no strategic directions, let alone fundamental tools such as emissions caps, or even future forecasts. The "strategy" amounts to little more than a set of excuses for rapidly accelerating greenhouse emissions in the NT, while most of the world struggles to move in the other direction.
The project encountered an unexpected hurdle last month when East Timor's Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri promised not to ratify the International Unitisation Agreement covering the Greater Sunrise gas fields. Alkatiri has insisted that the Australia and East Timor renegotiate their shared maritime boundary before mining of the fuel proceeds.
Without the agreement, the fuel cannot be mined, and there can be no down-stream industrial development at Glyde Point. In response, NT Chief Minister Clare Martin has called on the federal government to negotiate a fair distribution of Greater Sunrise royalties. Martin wants the two issues separated, so that Sunrise developments can proceed unencumbered by the politically challenging question of maritime boundaries.
A coalition of local environmentalists has vowed to build a public campaign against the proposal, and has demanded that not another step be taken towards approval of the industrial estate before:
- The resolution of maritime boundaries with East Timor
- The drafting of a comprehensive industrial development plan
- The publishing of a pending conservation plan for the local jurisdiction
- The publishing of a pending greenhouse strategy for the NT
- An independent environmental assessment of the proposal.
For more information about the campaign, phone Adele Pedder on (08) 8941 7461, 0422 108 539 or email <adelepedder@amcs.org.au>.
[Justin Tutty is a member of the NT Greens.]
From Green Left Weekly, June 30, 2004.
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