AIA Tasmanian Chapter MR
“There is an urgent need to think-through viable options for Hobart and its surrounding population. Housing across Australia and in Tasmania is at a crossroads ”This means we need to emphasise reliable, affordable and accessible transport options and their connection with a mix of well-designed private and public housing. Hobart will need to engage with these issues to ensure we have the infrastructure to ‘future-proof’ the local economy and maximize the advantages this will offer to all Tasmanians.” Dr Atkinson said.
Media Release
17 July 2008
Architects and Planners identify Hobart rail corridor potential
The relocation of the freight interchange from the Hobart waterfront to the new transport hub at Brighton highlights the need for metropolitan planning to address the future growth of the city region. The future use of the rail corridor provides an opportunity to make the city more sustainable, according to the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA).
Following a series of roundtable discussions between the AIA, PIA, and the Housing and Community Research Unit (HACRU) at the University of Tasmania, Glenorchy Mayor Adriana Taylor and Hobart Lord Mayor Rob Valentine were briefed on the potential of planning along the rail line for providing new and enhanced communities.
The Roundtable group believes that the rail corridor and surrounding areas have the potential to contribute to solutions for a number of major issues facing the Hobart area including housing affordability, public transport and environmental protection while providing economic growth opportunities within existing built up areas.
The Roundtable was initiated by the AIA which has recently released its policy on sustainability. The President of the AIA Tasmanian Chapter, James Jones, said ‘We encourage all levels of government to contain the sprawl of existing urban areas and to plan and implement sustainable and best use of land, water and transport resources”. “Urgent action is needed as we face the challenges presented by climate change.
“This potential can be realized by reducing energy demand and increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and infrastructure systems”, Mr Jones said. Potential exists for large areas of land along the rail line, some currently used for light industry or warehousing, to be progressively available for redevelopment for residential and mixed use purposes. Sociologist and head of HACRU, Dr Rowland Atkinson suggested that the increased cost of housing, interest rates and petrol highlight how fragile our cities have become.
“There is an urgent need to think-through viable options for Hobart and its surrounding population. Housing across Australia and in Tasmania is at a crossroads ”This means we need to emphasise reliable, affordable and accessible transport options and their connection with a mix of well-designed private and public housing. Hobart will need to engage with these issues to ensure we have the infrastructure to ‘future-proof’ the local economy and maximize the advantages this will offer to all Tasmanians.” Dr Atkinson said.
The roundtable discussions highlighted the fundamental role that architecture and planning has in developing good outcomes for the community and providing visions for how cities can grow. Several key areas in Hobart and Glenorchy were discussed where the potential for integrated transport and housing could be considered in tandem with the possibility of a designated public transport corridor. Emma Riley, President of the Planning Institute of Australia, Tasmania Division, said.
The principal advantage of a public transport corridor operating along the existing rail corridor is a new amenity which can be afforded to those people living in the northern suburbs and the potential improvement of pedestrian amenity within the city centre through a reduction in cars.
Light rail or retrofitted buses could use state of the art technology to then be able to ride on the rail corridor which would create a new express route to the centre of Hobart. Use of the rail corridor for public transportation purposes would also open up a range of options for sustainable development, including low cost urban housing along the route.
There is also significant potential for a tourist service along the corridor offering attractions including The Royal Botanic Gardens, the transport museum, Moorilla winery and the emerging MONA museum, and could include connections further afield to Brighton and the New Norfolk area.” Ms Riley said.
The roundtable anticipated that there was an opportunity for governments to work together and achieve an integrated vision, to develop future solutions for housing and transport needs in the greater Hobart metropolitan area.
AIA TASMANIA CHAPTER
Celine Lim manager,
E: [email protected]
