Dear Mr Ed Smelt MLA,
We congratulate you on changing Labor’s position on the Defence Housing Australia (DHA) development at Lee Point. It is welcome news for Territory Labor to be calling for a moratorium and an end to the destruction at Lee Point.
We sincerely hope that 2026 will be the year that DHA ceases its controversial housing development at Lee Point, especially now that an appropriate alternative site – Berrimah (DEB) – has been identified.
We know that it is Federal Labor who can stop this development. It is the community's expectation that NT Labor, being the same Party, would now be acting on its promise by strongly lobbying your federal counterparts to stop this project.
We note that Defence Housing Australia stated in a presentation to Darwin City Council in February that it will resume work at Lee Point this coming dry season.
Listening to the Larrakia people and the Darwin community and protecting Lee Point would be a significant win for both NT and Federal Labor – one that demonstrates genuine respect and responsiveness to the community, and common sense.
We would like to ask you what concrete steps you and NT Labor will now be taking to enact this moratorium.
Please provide us with details of when you will be meeting with Federal Labor, particularly the Minister for DHA Matt Keogh, to demand that the Federal Labor Government end the destruction and put in place a moratorium on the Lee Point development.
Signed