New city, Weddell, to be built in Northern Territory

By Tara Ravens
AAP
February 04, 2009 02:43pm

THE Northern Territory will get a fourth city to cater for a massive population swell by 2030.

Darwin, Alice Springs and the satellite city of Palmerston will be joined on the map by Weddell within the next five years.

Almost 15km south of Palmerston, the 2000 hectare development will be called home by about 40,000 people.

"This is a very significant announcement - a fourth city for the Northern Territory," NT Chief Minister Paul Henderson said.

"The planning starts today and we will be turning off new lots in Weddell in five years time."

Speaking to an audience of business and community leaders in Darwin, Mr Henderson said the population of the Darwin and Palmerston areas was expected to increase 34 per cent by 2021.

By 2030, there will be an increase of 63,000 people, or 55 per cent, taking the population to 177,000.

"There would be few other communities in Australia today talking of the level of expansion we have forecast for Darwin and Palmerston," Mr Henderson said.

"There would be few other communities talking about the development of six new suburbs and a whole new city."

Mr Henderson said the Government could not afford to delay the planning, with this sort of growth equating to about 1700 new houses every year, 172 more police, 293 additional nurses, 54 doctors and 121 hospital beds.

There will also be more than 7000 new students needing about 430 additional teachers.

"We will be pretty damn busy in the next 20 years," Mr Henderson said.

But the Government does not plan on going it alone.

"We will be developing the Territory hand in hand with the private business and development sector and the non-government community sector," Mr Henderson said.

Early estimates put the cost of providing the city's arterial roads, power, water and sewerage trunk services to come to about $740 million. The Government hopes these developments generate additional private investment of "at least several billion".

"At the moment, the Weddell locality is little more than unremarkable lines on a map," Mr Henderson said.

"Those lines will take shape as houses, shops, and schools, as parks and sporting grounds, as clinics and new businesses across four suburbs."

Source: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25007192-29277,00.html

Sweet. While I hate sprawl, its cool to see the northern end of the country filling up so to speak.

New city, Weddell, to be built in Northern Territory

By Tara Ravens
AAP
February 04, 2009 02:43pm

THE Northern Territory will get a fourth city to cater for a massive population swell by 2030.

Darwin, Alice Springs and the satellite city of Palmerston will be joined on the map by Weddell within the next five years.

Almost 15km south of Palmerston, the 2000 hectare development will be called home by about 40,000 people.

"This is a very significant announcement - a fourth city for the Northern Territory," NT Chief Minister Paul Henderson said.

"The planning starts today and we will be turning off new lots in Weddell in five years time."

Speaking to an audience of business and community leaders in Darwin, Mr Henderson said the population of the Darwin and Palmerston areas was expected to increase 34 per cent by 2021.

By 2030, there will be an increase of 63,000 people, or 55 per cent, taking the population to 177,000.

"There would be few other communities in Australia today talking of the level of expansion we have forecast for Darwin and Palmerston," Mr Henderson said.

"There would be few other communities talking about the development of six new suburbs and a whole new city."

Mr Henderson said the Government could not afford to delay the planning, with this sort of growth equating to about 1700 new houses every year, 172 more police, 293 additional nurses, 54 doctors and 121 hospital beds.

There will also be more than 7000 new students needing about 430 additional teachers.

"We will be pretty damn busy in the next 20 years," Mr Henderson said.

But the Government does not plan on going it alone.

"We will be developing the Territory hand in hand with the private business and development sector and the non-government community sector," Mr Henderson said.

Early estimates put the cost of providing the city's arterial roads, power, water and sewerage trunk services to come to about $740 million. The Government hopes these developments generate additional private investment of "at least several billion".

"At the moment, the Weddell locality is little more than unremarkable lines on a map," Mr Henderson said.

"Those lines will take shape as houses, shops, and schools, as parks and sporting grounds, as clinics and new businesses across four suburbs."

Source: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25007192-29277,00.html

Weddell is actually only 42km from Darwin CBD by road and 25km 'as the crow flies' - about the same as Humpty Doo (an existing semi-rural area on the outer edge of Darwin). So it's essentially another addition to the greater Darwin urban area. Weddell is much closer to the Inpex LNG plant site than the Darwin CBD.

Well Darwin isn't slowing down after all, that is one massive project, perfect for the nearby Inpex gas plant.

Interesting too see the metro population could jump to 177,000 by 2030 (increase of 63,000).

^^ Yes, in the last year I've had cause to think that the Darwin CBD would move south probably to Palmerston and so Darwin could be renamed to its original name (which was Palmerston).

That will never happen.

Though what will probably happen is some services moving to Palmerston from the CBD.

^^ Yes, in the last year I've had cause to think that the Darwin CBD would move south probably to Palmerston and so Darwin could be renamed to its original name (which was Palmerston).

yes palmerston CBD is too small for a copy of Darwin CBD i would have thought unless all the land uses in the surrounding Yarrawonga area be converted to an extended CBD... i doubt that will ever happen let alone be planned for. I thought Palmerston though would have a full sized hospital like at Tiwi built as a compliment to the current "Health Hub"

If there is a rapid transport/light rail connecting btw Darwin & Palmerston then maybe only developments would increase around selected sites along that line. But to me they should built the light rail from Darwin CBD along Bagot Roadto the airport then across to the Northern Suburbs then out towards the rural area and across to Palmerston before going to Howard Springs and to Weddell (that way it can service more people) even though it would be a longer line going around the airport and not through industrial areas straight to Palmerston from the City...

BTW Where is Weddell? Near or south of Humpty Doo or somewhere on the eastern side of the Stuart or on the western side out towards Berry Springs? along Cox Peninsular????????

^^ North of Berry Springs/Cox Penninsula Road turn-off the Stuart Highway and West of Noonamah.

More sprawl we don't need. Darwin is already, in area, larger than Greater London (pop. 18 million) and one third the size of Sydney; all for a population of 120,000. By all means plan for light rail and public transport: Buy up the land necessary for this but realistically, such things are not viable in such a spread-out small population base.

It's all work though. For the consultants and especially the lawyers. They make a killing from this.

That will never happen.

Though what will probably happen is some services moving to Palmerston from the CBD.

I was really only jesting and pointing out the historical fact that Darwin's original name was Palmerston. It's the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth on Thursday 12th of February. He never actually came to Darwin but the ship he travelled on, the HMS Beagle, did and his former shipmates named the port after him.

The bulk of the population lives in the Northern suburbs of Darwin and in/around Palmerston. Unlike Darwin, Palmerston has no height controls. It's also closer to the two main power stations and the main water supply at Darwin River Dam, and the train line passes near Palmerston.

^^ North of Berry Springs/Cox Penninsula Road turn-off the Stuart Highway and West of Noonamah.

More sprawl we don't need. Darwin is already, in area, larger than Greater London (pop. 18 million) and one third the size of Sydney; all for a population of 120,000. By all means plan for light rail and public transport: Buy up the land necessary for this but realistically, such things are not viable in such a spread-out small population base.

It all work though. For the consultants and especially the lawyers. They make a killing from this.

So when Darwin gains Weddell, it will become even bigger than 1/3 considering Weddell is 15km sth of Palmerston.... alas Weddell will probably sprawl south of Cox Peninsular Rd one day too, with ppl wishing to rezone or subdivide their land in the immediate surrounding rural areas...... :nuts:
wish...

I don't suppose they have busses to Darwin CBD.. It would probably be a car city for a few years to the population is big enough to have any PT being viable.... :lol: I wonder if it will pass any Environmental Impact Assessments etc first... or have they already been done if any.... or is there no need if the land is partly cleared....

I'm sure there may be some land mines or (UXOs) i think it is called Unexploded Ordinances found from WWII... I remember some were found when they were developing around Palmerston's Delfin land area long time ago.......

DELETE: Double post.... SCC playing up now... didn't post properly and then when i refreshed the screen it posted twice ....

I'm sure there may be some land mines or (UXOs) i think it is called Unexploded Ordinances found from WWII... I remember some were found when they were developing around Palmerston's Delfin land area long time ago.......

Bombs mostly. This Thursday 19th February is the 67th anniversary of the first and second bombings of Darwin by the same Japanese carrier force that bombed Pearl Harbour. There might also be unexploded ordinance from the Australian and US military as they might have used the area for practice.

I remember the kid next door finding one once and bringing it to my parent's place in Fannie Bay so that we could bash the front of it on the barbecue. I can't remember why we did this.

Weddell could be home to 120,000
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2011/02/28/215081_realestate.html

THE planned city of Weddell could grow to have a population of 120,000, according to one of the NT's top engineers.

"Because of the huge oil, gas and infrastructure projects coming on line, we envisage a population growth that cannot be accommodated by our present infrastructure," Brendan Lawson said.

"Potentially, we may need housing for another 20,000 people by about 2025 and, if appropriate solutions to development constraints are found, Weddell could grow to 120,000 - which is about the entire population of Darwin and rural surrounds now."

Mr Lawson is leaving his role as the principal strategic planning engineer with the Department of Lands and Planning.

Leave your comments here.

He will take up a position as executive director of major projects, Asian relations and trade with the Department of the Chief Minister.

He told a national newspaper that growth would be driven by two major projects - the Inpex gas development and a proposed new marine supply facility.

"We have two major projects to absorb that will bring unprecedented employment and economic growth into the Territory," Mr Lawson told The Australian.

"First there is the Inpex project, which will invest $20 billion into well-head infrastructure and pipelines to bring natural gas 850km from the Browse Basin to Darwin for conversion into LNG onshore in Darwin for export to Japan.

"While the construction phase will directly employ about 3000 workers, we expect a much greater number from the downstream effect, and it's that flow-on that's driving the housing need.

"It's going to be a very significant change to Darwin. We will need a population with a wide range of skills to build and service these sectors and Weddell," he said.

Mr Lawson said the proposal to establish a dedicated marine supply facility in Darwin would also have a big "downstream effect".

The Department of Lands and Planning is looking for an engineer to take over Mr Lawson's role overseeing the planning and development of Weddell.

Weddell is Dead...You read it here first.

Weddell is Dead...You heard it here first.

Really? that's a massive change in direction if so. Weddell has been on the cards since before palmerston iirc. certainly a bloody long time. Lands must be in a state of total panic.

are they going to try and fill between Darwin and Palmerston? or north of mcmilans rd out around micketts creek.

Well, dead for now. It's too early for the top-end to go the Weddell way when there are infill sites available at lower infrastructure costs in between. North of McMillans Road including the Leanyer Dump and Micketts Creek and all the way to Shoal Bay is Defence land and they won't give it up. That's why future expansion has to be around the harbour. Weddell is Dead (for the foreseeable future).

http://www.litchfield.nt.gov.au/index.php?page=weddell

http://www.lands.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/9195/Outcomes_lowres_20101124.pdf

http://www.litchfield.nt.gov.au/index.php?page=weddell

http://www.lands.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/9195/Outcomes_lowres_20101124.pdf

All old information. Weddell is Dead.