The NT Environment Department reversed its initial assessment that land clearing at Claravale Station could significantly impact a threatened species, later finding the proposal was unlikely to have a significant impact because of newly proposed buffer zones, despite the property owner refusing to carry out surveys the department said were needed, documents released under FOI laws show.

Development at Claravale Station has been mired in controversy since the owners illegally cleared land in 2021, leading to a prosecution that was later abandoned amid a disputed agreement with the government, along with a Federal Court action taken by the owners.

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