Decade-Old Project Resurfaces as Darwin Heats Up

Plans have been dusted off and filed with the Northern Territory Government for a 27-unit, three-storey development in one of its rising suburbs. 

The plans for the tropical-style building submitted by builder-developer Norbuilt show 12 three, 12 two and 3 one-bedroom units.

An original development application for the development was submitted more than 10 years ago in 2013.

The current application anticipates the development of the remaining Stages 4 and 5 of the wider site on Tarakan Court in the Darwin suburb of Johnston.

The suburb is a 20-minute drive from the Darwin CBD off the Stuart Highway.

It is one of the Palmerston area’s newest suburbs, but growing quickly, with a population of 2027 in 2016 that grew to 8685 by 2021, according to the ABS.

The demand for homes across the Territory has been rising, prompting, among other things, a hotel-to-homes conversion last year.

▲ A render of the proposed residential development at Johnson.

But, according to Darwin’s Raine & Horne, while the capital is booming, the hinterland suburbs are “overlooked gems”. 

Raine & Horne said that the Darwin property market was experiencing “a significant uptick” and that the number of properties sold in the second week of May equalled those of that entire month last year. 

“Areas such as Virginia, Humpty Doo, and Noonamah are popular with buyers as they all lie within 40 minutes of the Darwin CBD, so it’s possible to have a city job and a rural homelife for under $1 million,” Raine & Horne Darwin general manager and sales director Glenn Grantham said.

“Try ticking off that kind of work-life balance for such a price in other major capital cities around the country. It just won’t happen.”