MARGARETTA POS:

Enticingly, the frontispiece, with the heading, Inner Collins Apartments, has a panoramic photograph strapped across the page, with ‘Sheer Inner City Luxury’ printed underneath. And the photo? It is of the Hobart Town Hall. This may be a good investment lure, but it is surely questionable when the Hobart City Council has yet to consider the development application.

The buildings of this block are of a relatively uniform height and character. The proposed development is utterly incongruous with this and would irreversibly detract from the Murray/Macquarie Street crossroads — the only crossroads I know of in the nation with sandstone building on each corner.

Not only will the aesthetics of this historically important area be detrimentally affected, but the historic fabric itself will be directly affected. The proposed development will abut such important buildings as the Queen Mary Club and Hadleys Hotel, while nineteenth century stables will be reused as a gymnasium and lap pool.

THE wheels are in motion for the $40 million hotel and apartment complex planned for the centre of Hobart. While the proposal for another unleavened lump squatting in our city may not yet have been approved by the Hobart City Council, the developer appears to be confident it will go ahead.

The first most Hobart residents knew about it was when the plan appeared on the front page of The Mercury on Tuesday (October 11). They also discovered that objections closed the same day.

Potential investors, however, had advance notice.

Investment in Inner Collins, as developer Doherty Hotels calls it, is being handled by Edwards Windsor. And Edwards Windsor has posted a glossy, 16 page brochure to valued clients, inviting investment.

There are 42 stylish apartments, with river or mountain views, all with balconies of varying sizes, with a price range of $375,000 to $930,000, no doubt well designed. There are also three luxurious penthouses on the eleventh floor, two with water views, for $1,775,000 and $1,800,000. The third, with mountain views, has a price tag of $1,825,000.

Investors are told that should the development fail to go ahead, they will get their money back. They are also being told that the prices listed will be accepted “unless higher offers are received.”

Enticingly, the frontispiece, with the heading, Inner Collins Apartments, has a wide angle photograph strapped across the page, with ‘Sheer Inner City Luxury’ printed underneath. And the photo? It is of the Hobart Town Hall. This may be a good investment lure, but it is surely questionable when the Hobart City Council has yet to consider the development application.

The well orchestrated push for this development to go ahead was revealed at a meeting hosted by West Hobart Neighbourhood Watch at the Lawrenny Court Meeting Hall last night (Ocober 12). Candidates in the Hobart City Council election were invited to air their views and those who turned up did so to about 25 ‘Watchers’.

It was one of these ‘Watchers’ who revealed that she had received the investment brochure, as others have since told me. She did so because of my speech at the West Hobart meeting, which follows.

“Concern about the future of Hobart spurred me into standing for the Hobart City Council.

It was triggered by two events.

One, when the Council lost control of the Hobart waterfront, when the State Government established the Sullivans Cove Waterfront Authority. I wasn’t surprised the Council lost control and I am not opposed to a Waterfront Authority. But I am angry that the Council doesn’t have a voice on it.

Two, the Council’s approval of Zero Davey at the entrance to the city — a building hated by nearly everyone. A second Marine Board building if you like.

And now we are faced with another monstrosity.

There it was, on the front page of The Mercury yesterday, a $40 million, 11-storey hotel and apartment complex — another unleavened lump in our city — with objections closing yesterday.

I object. More than that, I stand in protest.

The Lord Mayor has said tonight that the Council is about to embark upon a 20 year vision for Hobart.

I ask you to look at this proposed development.

It directly affects the aesthetic nature of the area.

The buildings of this block are of a relatively uniform height and character. The proposed development is utterly incongruous with this and would irreversibly detract from the Murray/Macquarie Street crossroads — the only crossroads I know of in the nation with sandstone building on each corner.

Not only will the aesthetics of this historically important area be detrimentally affected, but the historic fabric itself will be directly affected. The proposed development will abut such important buildings as the Queen Mary Club and Hadleys Hotel, while nineteenth century stables will be reused as a gymnasium and lap pool.

This is outrageous. It must be stopped. Surely, all developments should enhance our city, not detract from it.

Alas, the Council is not a town planner — it has become a processor of development applications.

I am not a member of any political party. I am a swinging voter, I look at the issues — and the candidates — at every election, then decide how to vote. I urge you to do the same.

Finally, I have spoken about public access to the Battery Point foreshore at earlier forums. I want to say that my preferred option was always a walking track. But such has been the covert opposition to any further access than now exists, I would support a low impact boardwalk around the headland. If you have a computer, I ask you to log on and read www.oldtt.pixelkey.biz where my views on this contentious issue have been recorded and I hope that anyone who was at the Battery point forum last week, will ask others who were there to look at this website.”

After candidates had their say, there was a half hour for questions from the floor — which ended in a slanging match. Who between? Lord Mayoral aspirant Marti Zucco and Deputy Lord Mayor Eva Ruzicka, who is seeking another term. No-one could hear what the fight was about and the chairman rose and closed the meeting.

Not, however, before Lord Mayoral aspirant Jeff Briscoe lobbed a personal missile into the debate over public access to the Battery Point foreshore.

He accused the late Alf White of trying to chase his Dad off the Battery Point foreshore eighty years ago. “He said he owned it,” Briscoe said. Sir Alfred, of course, was the father of John White, senior vice president of the Battery Point Sullivans Cove Community Association which is in the eye of the storm on this issue. Surprisingly, Association president and aldermanic candidate David Edwards, did not get to his feet in protest.

Mr Briscoe ended by asking those present to consider voting for three candidates for aldermen, including me, which he has also done on this website. I rose and thanked him for his support, but said (and I say it again), that I am not aligned to any party, faction or person.

Margaretta Pos is a candidate in the Hobart City Council election. Written and authorised by Margaretta Pos, 13 Crelin St, Battery Point, 7004.