Darwin is set to reap the economic, education and tourism rewards of its $200 million City Deal with today’s release of the Implementation Plan.
It outines how the Australian and Northern Territory governments, together with the City of Darwin, will deliver key elements of the deal over the next four years.
Many elements are already underway. Construction on the new Education and Civic Precinct – which will house the new Charles Darwin University Campus – is set to start by the middle of 2020.
Meanwhile, design work and some construction work has started on elements of the Civc and State Square masterplan.
Federal Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge said the 10-year deal was on its way to bolstering the tropical capital city as a great place to live, work, study and visit.
“We’ve mapped out key milestones and timeframes including city shaping initiatives like the Education and Civic Precinct in the heart of the CBD, which is on track for completion by 2024,” Mr Tudge said.
“We want Darwin to thrive and this new precinct will see an influx of students and visitors, boosting demand for cafes, restaurants, bars and retail stores.”
“The Darwin Living Lab led by the CSIRO is also underway and will put Darwin at the cutting-edge of tropical urban design by using the latest science to test and evaluate improvements in Darwin’s liveability, sustainability and resilience.”
Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Michael Gunner said the City Deal was a recognition of Darwin’s status as the capital of Northern Australia, and would ensure it remains a liveable tropical city well into the future.
“We have already started work on significant, job-creating revitalisation projects which will cement Darwin’s place as the capital of the North, creating longterm ongoing jobs for Territorians; ensuring Darwin is a great place to live, work, study and invest”, Mr Gunner said.
“The historic City Deal will transform and activate a number of public spaces, creating vibrant, cooler and more attractive CBD for locals and visitors to enjoy.”
Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis welcomed the Implementation Plan, saying it would bring much needed devlopment and growth opportunities for Darwin over the next 10 years.
“It’s great to see this projects moving ahead, supporting and creating a range of jobs, and providing an economic stimulus that will provide benefit the entire community,” Lord Mayor Vatskalis said.
“City of Darwin is excited to be working with all three levels of government to build an even better Darwin.”
The Implementation Plan outlines the key milestones, responsibilities and measures of success for the Darwin City Deal. The three levels of government look forward to working together to release the first Annual Progress Report, which will demonstrate the significant progress which has been already made to deliver on the Deal.
The Darwin City Deal Implementation Plan is available at www.infrastructure.gov.au/cities/city-deals/darwin.
