A new planning application (PA2026/0110) is proposing a massive change for the land along Dick Ward Drive (covering parts of Ludmilla and Coconut Grove).
While the application frames this as a “minor administrative update,” it actually aims to shift the site away from restricted light-industrial use to open it up for intensive, public-facing commercial developments like shopping centers, restaurants, medical clinics, and bars.
This site has a deeply contested 16-year history. It faces severe environmental constraints, including primary storm surge risks, strict airport noise protections, and unresolved questions about potential soil contamination from historical fill. Community members and Larrakia elders have actively protested development on this culturally sensitive land since 2014, following a controversial government reversal of a 2010 environmental refusal.
Have your say: The public exhibition period is open right now, and official submissions close at 11:59 pm this Friday, 29 May 2026.
Read more here: https://planinc.org.au/pa2026-0110-sd44-rezoning-application-seth-chin-block-how-to-read-the-documents/