Arrests as land clearing resumes at sensitive site

Mounted police, security guards and three bulldozers moved in on Lee Point in the Northern Territory on Tuesday morning to fell dozens of trees after failed efforts to have the site protected from development under environmental and cultural laws.

A 70-year-old teacher was reportedly being treated for injuries at Palmerston Hospital after being arrested by police, with a young man also in custody after locking himself to a bulldozer.

Kirsty Howey, the executive director of the Environment Centre NT, said the habitat loss was directly linked to inadequate environmental protections.

"The destruction of Lee Point today has been devastating for the thousands of people across Darwin - and the country - who have dedicated years of their lives to protecting this place," she told AAP.

"This is the result of the failure of our federal environmental and cultural heritage laws which are speeding nature and culture destruction instead of halting it."

Community present at the site told AAP the bulldozers had cleared at least several hectares of the 100-hectare area, with videos posted to X showing trees felled and police carrying protesters away from the site gates.

The area - known as Binybara to its Larrakia traditional owners - is home to vulnerable and endangered birds including the Gouldian finch, great knot and greater sand plover.

Defence Housing Australia plans to develop 800 homes, businesses and community facilities in the seaside area north of Darwin.

The government agency voluntarily stopped work at Lee Point in August 2023 to allow a cultural heritage application to be assessed after members of the Larrakia nation described the area as culturally significant and asked that it be preserved and protected.

The application was rejected in March despite pleas to Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to act to protect the numerous threatened species in the area.

Australian Associated Press