Today, I have decided to approve the CDU Education and Community Precinct development in the Darwin CBD, with conditions to ensure the development is reflective of community values and standards.

As the Minister for Planning, I have an important role in ensuring that development continues through these difficult times to create jobs.

The Charles Darwin University city campus is a major project that will create 730 jobs during construction and bring more people into our beautiful city.

However, our Government’s vision is for Darwin to be a cool, sustainable and attractive city, and development should reflect these principles.

With this in mind, I have imposed conditions that must be endorsed prior to work on the development beginning, including:

• A Tree Protection Plan and Tree Protection Zone for the Baobab Tree and Milkwood Trees must be prepared by a suitably qualified arborist in accordance with the relevant codes and standards.
• Additional details addressing energy efficiency through passive climate control measures for improved tropical design to support cooling, heat mitigation, greening, water use, energy efficiency and waste reduction.
• Additional information addressing the colours and materials to be used in the final design, with a view to ensuring the building appropriately references Darwin’s heritage, multi-cultural nature and climate.

Jobs are the Territory Labor Government’s number one priority, and this project will create jobs, support local businesses and contribute to economic recovery and diversity.

It will also position us to boost the number of international students in the Territory to our aim of 10,000 by 2025. This will add an extra $200 million to the Territory economy annually and support hundreds of ongoing jobs in a range of sectors.

I made the decision to “call in” this proposal as it is important to the economic recovery and revitalisation of the Darwin CBD.

The Darwin division of the Development Consent Authority was appointed to conduct a meeting and receive further information from submitters in relation to this application.

I considered all submissions in making the decision in relation to this matter.

Unlike the CLP, who treated the views of Territorians with contempt, I will continue to listen to our community.

Media contact: Kim Stephens 0417 683 144