Darwin Harbour under threat

DARWIN — The Northern Territory Labor government's pre-election trumpeting of the "waterfront development" in the Darwin Harbour has failed to

take into account the associated environmental risks.

The project is the jewel in the crown of Chief Minister Clare Martin's development-driven agenda. It is a massive $1.1 billion project that will include the building of a wave pool, a convention centre, a hotel and residential development.

On May 30, the NT News reported that the environmental assessment report on the project has warned that the dredging of 700,000 cubic metres of soil from the harbour will release large amounts of deadly lead and zinc, the product of years of unregulated dumping of landfill, wartime use and spills around the wharf area.

It has also been revealed that 2 billion litres of untreated sewerage is being pumped into Darwin Harbour each year. According to the Environment Centre NT, this has not been disclosed to the public or to the Darwin Harbour Advisory Committee.

Kathy Newnam

From Green Left Weekly, June 8, 2005.

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From GLW issue 629