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Coolalinga / Freds Pass Rural Activity Centre

NT Planning Scheme Amendment

The NT Planning Commission is pleased to advise that the Minister for Infrastructure Planning and Logistics has amended the NT Planning Scheme to include the Area Plan for the Coolalinga / Freds Pass Rural Activity Centre. The amendment takes effect from 10 March 2023.

  • View the Amendment Notice and reasons for decision
  • View the  Coolalinga Freds Pass Rural Activity Centre Area Plan
  • View the Coolalinga and Freds Pass Rural Activity Centre Land Capability and Needs Assessment document  PDF (2.5 MB)

Help shape the Coolalinga and Freds Pass Rural Activity Centre

  • Background
  • What are Area Plans?
  • The process to create the Area Plan
  • Resources and reading material

Background

The Coolalinga/Freds Pass Rural Activity Centre Area Plan will be a long-term plan for the future of the area. Once complete, the Area Plan will help maintain the amenity of the rural area by ensuring the provision of adequate services to support growth within the boundaries of the activity centre, while helping to protect the rural area from ad hoc development in the future.


What are Area Plans?

Area Plans provide a detailed framework for land use change, to guide the future use and development of land. There are two main components to an Area Plan. The map shows where opportunities for land use change exist, while the planning principles clarify the vision and requirements that apply to future development in the areas covered by the Area Plan.

Area Plans are included in the NT Planning Scheme and must be considered by the Minister or the Development Consent Authority whenever a rezoning or development is proposed.

Area Plans do not alter existing use rights and land can continue to be used in accordance with the current land-use zone.

Area Plans also do not automatically rezone land. If a landowner wants to develop in accordance with the Area Plan the landowner must first rezone the land by applying to the Minister responsible for administering the Planning Act.

Area Plans try to look as far ahead as possible but, in time, they may be reviewed to meet the future needs and aspirations of the community. Any change to an Area Plan is a Planning Scheme Amendment and must follow the process set out in the Planning Act, including public exhibition.


The process to create the Area Plan

The Coolalinga/Freds Pass Rural Activity Centre Area Plan was developed over three stages.

Stage One, completed in May and June 2017 includes the release of a discussion paper and first round of up front community consultation.

Stage Two, completed in October 2017, includes the release of the draft Area Plan and draft Planning Principles. The draft Area Plan was been prepared taking into account community feedback and background investigations from Stage One.

The draft Area Plan and Planning Principles central to Stage two consultation were developed in response to feedback received during Stage 1 consultation, conducted in May/June 2017, from the community, Litchfield Council, Coolalinga/Freds Pass Community Advisory Group, service authorities and NT Government agencies.

Stage Three was the final stage of the project. The Planning Commission finalised and recommended the Area Plans and associated documents to the Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics for public exhibition as a proposed amendment to the Northern Territory Planning Scheme.

three stages of consultation

Resources and reading material

NT Planning Scheme Amended

The Minister for Infrastructure Planning and Logistics has amended the NT Planning Scheme to include the Area Plan for the Coolalinga / Freds Pass Rural Activity Centre. The amendment takes effect from 10 March 2023.

  • View the Amendment Notice and reasons for decision
  • View the  Coolalinga Freds Pass Rural Activity Centre Area Plan
  • View the Coolalinga and Freds Pass Rural Activity Centre Land Capability and Needs Assessment document  PDF (2.5 MB)

Stage 3 - Statutory exhibition

The Minister for Infrastructure Planning and Logistic sought comments on a proposal to amend the NT Planning Scheme from Friday 10 July 2020 to Friday 7 August 2020.

The proposed amendment was to include the Area Plan for Coolalinga / Freds Pass Rural Activity Centre into the Planning Scheme.

  • View the package of exhibition materials PDF (15.3 MB)

The Planning Commission held a hearing on submissions received on 8 September 2020. Details of the hearing are available on the Hearings page

Stage 2

  • Flyer
Draft Area Plan for Stage Two Consultation

Due to the geographical nature of the Coolalinga/Freds Pass Rural Activity Centre, the draft Area Plan  has been divided into four precincts. The draft precinct Area Plans respond to community feedback on the Coolalinga/Freds Pass Land Use concept within the Litchfield Subregional Land Use Plan. The draft precinct Area Plans are provided below. Further information can be found in the Flyer.

See how all the precincts fit together in this plan.

Precinct 1 is north of the Stuart Highway, extending from Stow Road down to Girraween Road and includes the existing urban development, Coolalinga Central and the North Australian Railway

Precinct 2 is south of the Stuart Highway, extending from Virginia Road through to the intersection of Henning Road and the Stuart Highway, and includes the Virginia local centre, Coolalinga caravan park, the Woolworths development, and the northern part of Wells Creek Road.

Precinct 3 continues south from the Henning Road/Girraween Road intersection with the Stuart Highway, and includes the Power and Water Corporation’s 19 Mile McMinn’s Pumping Station, Freds Pass Recreation Reserve, Litchfield Council Administrative Centre, various education facilities, and conservation zoned Crown land on the northern side of the Stuart Highway.

Precinct 4 extends south from Freds Pass Recreation Reserve to Lowther Road, and across the highway to two large parcels of privately owned land that have not yet been developed.

A set of Planning Principles to support the Coolalinga/Freds Pass Rural Activity Centre Area Plan has been drafted in conjunction with the Area Plan. Once finalised, these principles will sit alongside the Area Plan in the NT Planning Scheme.

  • Read the draft Planning Principles

Stage 1 

  • Stage 1 Consultation Report (625.4 kb)
    • Attachment A - Stage 1 flyer (1.8 mb)
    • Attachment B - Community Workshops Summary, 27 May and 3 June 2017 (PDF 250kb)
  • Flyer – Towards an Area Plan for the Coolalinga/ Freds Pass Rural Activity Centre (PDF 250kb)
  • Discussion Paper – Towards an Area Plan for the Coolalinga/ Freds Pass Rural Activity Centre (PDF 2.3MB)
  • Media Release - 8 May 2017 - Rural Community to help plan for future of Coolalinga/Freds Pass (PDF 140kb)

Background Resources

  • Darwin Regional Land Use Plan (Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment)
  • Litchfield Subregional Land Use Plan 2016 (entire document)
    • High resolution version (PDF 39MB)
    • Printable version (PDF 8MB)
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Northern Territory Planning Commission
08 8924 7540
GPO Box 1680 DARWIN NT 0801
ntpc@nt.gov.au