Darwin Regional Land Use Plan
Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment annual reports; Dept. of Lands, Planning and the Environment reports; PublicationNT; Reports; reports
2015
Made available via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).
English
Northern Territory. Dept. of Lands and Planning -- Periodicals; Land use -- Northern Territory -- Planning -- Periodicals; Transportation -- Northern Territory -- Periodicals; Public works -- Northern Territory -- Periodicals
Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment
Darwin (N.T.)
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https://hdl.handle.net/10070/257455
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/511960
DARWIN REGIONAL LAND USE PLAN 2015 20 Smith Street Mall Activity Centres Key Activity Centre Objectives Identify a regional hierarchy of activity centres to: establish an efficient and equitable framework for the distribution of retail, commercial and other community needs and to provide a range of residential opportunities encourage vibrant centres providing a mix of activities appropriate to the type of centre and the target population maximise local employment opportunities to encourage diversification of the regional economy encourage active transport including walking and cycling and enhanced access to public transport foster liveable and sustainable communities Promote regional activity centre viability and vitality via a proactive planned approach to land use policies and infrastructure provision. Activity centres in urban and rural areas are characterised by a mix of retail, commercial, community and residential development that provides wide-ranging social, economic and environmental benefits. As identified in the preceding sections dealing with Urban and Peri-Urban Residential and Rural Lifestyle, a key component of the framework for future development in the region is the potential for infill development around mixed-use activity centres. Activity Centres can be classified by a broad hierarchy based on the role and function of each centre with the role and function influenced by factors including the level of retail activity, the characteristics of the population catchment they serve and the co-location of uses. The level of retail activity is a particular influence on categorisation of Activity Centres because of: the importance of retail activity in centre activation its contribution to encouraging walkability the strong correlation between retail activity and the provision of public transport focused on the Darwin CBD and Primary Activity centres. Relating retail activity to the Activity Centre Hierarchy also provides the market with an indication of locations where new retail activity can add to the amenity and convenience of residents without unnecessarily impacting on the role and function of existing Activity Centres. Within the Darwin Region the scale and characteristics of the catchment population is also a significant influence on the levels of retail activity. The tropical location of the Darwin Region increases the attractiveness of large air-conditioned shopping centres that provide undercover parking, particularly in traditional suburban areas that lack the population thresholds to support a range of local facilities and services. More compact residential areas with increased densities have the potential to support vibrant local centres providing a mix of uses. Levels of retail activity in the Darwin Region can be broadly categorised as CBD, Regional, Town centre, Sub Regional, District, Neighbourhood and Convenience retailing. Table 1 describes the characteristics of the existing activity centre hierarchy in the Darwin Region, the broad level of retail activity typically found within each Activity Centre, and also the opportunities to enhance the roles and functions of the various centres The land use plan recognises the need for an appropriate framework to guide the location and development of future centres to minimise the impacts on the existing hierarchy and to maximise the social, economic and environmental benefits which can flow from appropriately located centres providing a mix of activities to serve the target population. There is potential for new non-local centres in association with both greenfield and infill urban development. Determination of the appropriate location for required centres should be cognisant of the potential impacts on the role and function of both existing centres and the proposed centre. The preparation of more detailed Area Plans for such development will provide the opportunity to identify the scale and location of centres that will be appropriate in the context of the likely population capacity of the particular development. With the exception of the Millner Home Maker Village, bulky goods retailers in the Darwin Region tend to be dispersed along arterial transport corridors or collocated with other retail activities in town or regional centres. The potential community benefits associated with the aggregation of these retailers in a single location suggests there may be future interest in another bulky goods centre. Factors which should be considered in determining an appropriate location for such a centre include impacts on the role and function of established and proposed centres, impacts on traffic, the accessibility to public transport and the opportunity to collocate with existing centres.