Future Planning Issues
The Northern Territory Government will work with the Katherine community to identify issues of importance to future land use and development in their town to ensure future needs for residential (urban and rural), commercial and industrial land are met.
The Northern Territory Government is also responsible for ensuring there is an appropriate framework in place to guide development.
What influences the framework?
Considerations that impact on the framework for future development of Katherine include:
- Geograhphic factors particularly:
- Flooding;
- Water resources;
- Landform, soils and drainage;
- Socio-economic factors particularly:
- Population Structure
- Economic Structure;
- Land Tenure;
- Transport.
What guides development on specific sites?
Various components of the NT Planning Scheme impact on the use and development of individual sites including:
- The NT and Katherine Planning Principles and the Katherine Land Use Framework;
- The zone applicable to the land and the relevant zoning table; and
- Development provisions which establish particular controls regarding the manner in which a use or development may be undertaken.
The NT Planning Scheme can be found at: http://www.nt.gov.au/lands/planning/scheme/index.shtml
What is happening currently?
- Native Title has been acquired over Lot 3011 and Lot 2998 to provide for future release of land, when necessary, for residential and industrial development respectively;
- Development Lease to be made available for 35 residential lots along Casuarina Street in Katherine East;
- A study to investigate options for a heavy vehicle diversion to be conducted in 2009.
What are some of the issues?
- Do the current Land Use Framework and Planning Principles provide an appropriate guide to future development?
- How do we minimise the risk to life and property associated with infill residential development on flood prone land?
- How do we balance the demand for rural lifestyle lots against the protection of productive agricultural land?
- Is it time to consider Rural Residential development ie partially serviced small rural lots? And
- If so what are the issues and options?
- Is it time to consider an alternate commercial centre? and
- How do we manage the process of refocusing commercial activities?
Where to now?
- Document the community’s informed contribution;
- Identify the issues and consider the full range of community views in relation to the options;
- Community involvement as future development options are progressed.
This website will be updated with a summary of the forum workshop discussions and the outcomes report as the information becomes available.