Cassy O’Connor Rave Ralphs Bay, Press Release
Our question to the Minister and his colleagues is; “Why won’t you respect the RPDC’s recommendation that it be allowed to assess our Draft Planning Directive?’ The Commission has been denied an important opportunity to fulfill its key inquisitorial role to the benefit of coastal planning in Tasmania.”
Planning Minister Steve Kons has demonstrated his lack of understanding of the damage caused by canal estate developments, a careless disregard for coastal values in Tasmania, and a clear willingness to ignore the advice of the State Government’s independent umpire, Save Ralphs Bay Inc. said today.
SRB Inc. Chair Bill Edmunds said the Minister has rejected the Resource Planning and Development Commission’s (RPDC) recommendation that it should assess SRB Inc.’s Draft Planning Directive proposing a statewide canal estate ban in local planning schemes.
“In August 2006, we lodged with the RPDC a Draft Planning Directive under the Land Use Planning Approvals Act (LUPAA) 1993, to prohibit canal estates in Tasmania, consistent with a canal estate ban which has been in the Kingborough Planning Scheme since 2000.
“In November, the Resource Planning and Development Commission (RPDC) recommended to Planning Minister, Steve Kons, that an assessment should be undertaken into a statewide canal estate ban across local government planning schemes”.
Mr Edmunds said the Minister had written to SRB Inc. not only rejecting the RPDC’s recommendation, but adding, “I have asked my department to consider a Planning Directive that incorporates criteria for assessing future canal development”.
“The Lennon government is clearly giving the green light to canal estate developers,” said Save Ralphs Bay Inc Communications Coordinator Cassy O’Connor. “It refuses to do its homework on canal estate developments and is content to ignore the reasons behind the New South Wales canal estate ban. Now it won’t let the independent umpire do the research either.
“Minister Kons’ response shows his reckless and unthinking disregard for the damage caused by canal estate developments, and a lack of concern for coastal values in Tasmania,” Ms O’Connor said.
While the Walker PoSS would not have been directly affected by any change to local government planning schemes as the assessment is exempt from state planning law, SRB Inc. is concerned the Minister’s dismissal of the RPDC’s recommendation sets a poor precedent for the outcome of the Walker PoSS.
On 23 July this year, Mr Kons accused SRB Inc of engaging in scare tactics, and said …“By making Lauderdale Quay a project of state significance the politics and rhetoric are taken out of it by allowing the independent RPDC to assess the project on its merits. I call on groups, like (SRB Inc), to support the entirely independent process.”
Our question to the Minister and his colleagues is; “Why won’t you respect the RPDC’s recommendation that it be allowed to assess our Draft Planning Directive?’ The Commission has been denied an important opportunity to fulfill its key inquisitorial role to the benefit of coastal planning in Tasmania.”
