Traditional owners win pause in woodland clearing at cultural site in Darwin | Northern Territory

Clearing of savanna woodlands for a defence housing development at Lee Point/Binybara in Darwin will be paused until the end of March in a win for traditional owners and members of the Darwin community.

Defence Housing Australia said in a statement it had voluntarily decided to stop work at the site until 31 March 2024 while it worked with government agencies and responded to an application regarding Aboriginal cultural heritage at the site.

It comes after Larrakia traditional owners Tibby Quall and Lorraine Williams lodged an emergency application under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Act for a declaration to protect the area on cultural grounds.

Hundreds of community members protested against bulldozing at the site, which commenced last month, and called for it be protected for its ecological and cultural significance.

The site is known habitat for endangered Gouldian finches and other species including the endangered black-footed tree rat.

Works were initially paused in early July.

Mililma May, a Larrakia woman and a member of the Danggalaba clan, said she felt “elated and hopeful” after learning the works would stop until at least April.

“I feel empowered in the coming together not just of the community in Darwin but also people nationally and internationally behind this movement,” she said.

“This is a reflection of the courage of everyday Territorians to stand up for country.”

She said she hoped the extra time would allow for more conversations and “the telling of the stories of our country” and that the site would be protected.

“Ultimately we hope that in this time the developers find another location that is close to public transport and more accessible to the community,” she said.

The extended pause on works is the latest hurdle for the development.

The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, reconsidered the original approval granted to DHA after Gouldian finches were spotted at the site.

She issued a varied approval in June that included a requirement for a 50m buffer around a waterhole, which she said would protect the most important habitat and retain a wildlife corridor that would benefit residents.

Protests at the site began shortly after this decision as clearing commenced.