Residential Development in Katherine East

Addressing Katherine’s rental housing shortage

Housing availability has become an increasingly prominent issue in Katherine, with particularly low rental vacancy rates compared to the rest of the Northern Territory. High levels of demand driven by major construction works are compounding the lack of quality housing options in Katherine, creating difficulties for people to secure quality, affordable housing.

Proposed NT Planning Scheme 2020 Amendment

The Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics sought comments on a new planning overlay for Katherine East to facilitate additional dwellings on land in Zone LR (Low Density Residential). This type of development was previously prohibited.

To be eligible the land must:

• have a minimum lot size of 800m2, in order to comply with a maximum density of 1 dwelling per 400m2;
• not be affected by flooding;
• have been titled before 6 November 2015;
• not already include a dwelling-independent; and
• obtain approval from the relevant agency responsible for power, water supply, sewerage, stormwater drainage and road access, to confirm that existing infrastructure has capacity to accommodate the additional load.

All eligible land is located in the Katherine East locality. The approved overlay supports population growth in the flood-free Katherine East locality, in line with recommendations of the 2016 Katherine Flood Mitigation Advisory Committee Report and the NT Government’s commitment to developing the Katherine East Neighbourhood Centre. This is also consistent with the strategic planning framework for Katherine, which advocates for the construction of new residential development outside of the 1% AEP (Annual Exceedance Probability) floodway and flood extent.

The overlay only applies to land titled before 6 November 2015, in order to exclude lots within the new master planned residential estate in the eastern part of Katherine East, as this estate has been designed for single dwelling development.

Development in accordance with the new overlay could include the addition of a second dwelling, or the construction of a new duplex or triplex, on an eligible lot. New development will need to comply with other relevant development requirements for a dwelling-group, including building setbacks, provision of private open space, and car parking.

New development will need to comply with the relevant requirements in Part 5 of the NTPS 2020 as set out in the assessment table in Part 4 for Zone LMR (Low-Medium Density Residential). This includes that up to two (2) dwellings group will be permitted if fully compliant, and three (3) or more will require consent at the Merit Assessable level.

For further information visit Have Your Say or Planning Notices Online.