In less than 24 hours, the Lord Mayor of Darwin has reversed his tightly-held stance of support for a new RSL clubhouse on The Esplanade.

Darwin City Council last night deferred a vote that could have seen the Darwin RSL given the green light to forge ahead with plans for a $10 million clubhouse adjacent to the Deckchair Cinema – sparking heated critisism from the hundreds of people who turned up to hear the verdict.

At the time, Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis said new “vital” information about the land – currently operating as a carpark – had been received too late in the day to convey with elected members.

“I can now disclose Larrakia nations elder Biliwara Lee expressed concern to me about the site yesterday afternoon,” Mr Vatskalis said.

“The proposed site has significant cultural importance to the Larrakia people as the Rainbow Serpent trail crosses through it and it is a sacred women’s birthing site.

“It blew me away; the significance of the site is great.”

According to the Lord Mayor, the correspondence with Ms Biliwara has provided him with enough reason to now oppose the RSL’s plans.

Just yesterday, Mr Vatskalis labeled critics of the RSL’s Esplanade development proposal “dream destroyers”.

Darwin’s Deckchair Cinema, an outdoor theater located less than 100 metres from where the RSL has proposed to develop, has long been fighting the proposal.

More than 11,000 people signed a petition claiming noise and light from the proposed clubhouse would cause significant disruption to the outdoor cinema. And an estimated 400 people rallied in support at last night’s council meeting.

Mr Vatskalis provided background to his backflip saying he “never believed” noise would negatively impact the Deckchair Cinema.

“But the sacred site has changed my mind,” he said.

“It is totally inappropriate to put an RSL or a place of drinking at a sacred women’s site.”

Maintaining the land is within the council’s remit to lease out as it pleases, despite critics saying due process for applications on The Esplanade should go through the NT Government Planning Department, Mr Vatskalis said he has “no idea what will happen to the space”.

“Maybe we will decide to work with the Larrakia people to do something with the site,” he said.