“Our neighborhoods belong to the people who live in them.” As the Convener of PLan: the Planning Action Network Inc, I’ve spent years fighting for transparent, sustainable development across the Territory. I recently joined Jess Ong on ABC Darwin to discuss a major issue right here in our backyard: the proposed commercial rezoning of part of the Bagot Community.
While we fully support local organizations finding ways to thrive, replacing community living space with another massive supermarket and a 500-space car park right next to a similar development already underway just doesn’t make sense for our suburbs.
Here is what this campaign is standing up for:
- Real, Transparent Consultation: Residents shouldn’t be finding out about massive rezonings through confusing “pink signs” after they’ve bought their family homes. We need to make sure the community is actively consulted, not left in the dark.
- Smart Infrastructure over Gridlock: Bagot Road is already intense and lacks safe pedestrian crossings. Adding more traffic lights and gridlock isn’t progress—we need to fix safety and liveability first.
- Planning for the Future, Not the Past: Making major development decisions based on outdated 2007 flood data is a risk to our local environment, especially near critical systems like Ludmilla Creek. We need modern planning that respects current climate realities.
The Bottom Line: Let’s focus on building the housing our community actually needs, protecting our green spaces, and keeping our local streets safe.
Read the full article and transcript here: https://planinc.org.au/abc-radio-bagot-shopping-center/