Pembroke candidates slam Ralphs Bay

ENVIRONMENT TASMANIA, SAVE RALPHS BAY
“Not all coastal development is inappropriate. The abomination planned for Ralphs Bay is.” (James Crotty, independent candidate for the seat of Pembroke). SIX of the eight candidates in tomorrow’s by-election for the Legislative Council seat of Pembroke have stated they do NOT support the proposed canal estate in Ralphs Bay, in response to a joint Save Ralphs Bay Inc/Environment Tasmania questionnaire.
Click http://www.saveralphsbay.org/pdf/SRBMedia31Jul09.pdf to read a pdf version of this Media release.

Click http://www.saveralphsbay.org/pdf/Pembroke/PembrokeLegCo09.pdf for pdf of full candidate responses to the questionnaire.

In the event that the Resource Planning and Development Commission (RPDC) recommends rejection of the proposed Ralphs Bay canal estate, the six candidates, James Crotty, Vanessa Goodwin, Wendy Heatley, Richard James, John Peers and Kit (Sharon) Soo would vote in accordance with the RPDC recommendation.

“The candidates’ responses to our questionnaire are very encouraging”, said Save Ralphs Bay Chair, Bill Edmunds. “They reflect the reality that there has never been much support for the canal estate proposal.”

“Most of the candidates clearly recognise the environmental realities”, said Environment Tasmania Convenor, Dr. Phill Pullinger. “Canal estates are banned in Victoria and New South Wales for good reason, and Tasmania would be foolish to try the canal estate experiment when other states have prohibited these developments on environmental grounds.”

The six Pembroke candidates supported the formation of a Legislative Council Committee to investigate the prohibition of canal estates in Tasmania, in keeping with policy in New South Wales and Victoria.

Wendy Heatley, John Peers and Sharon Soo are ready right now to vote in favour of a Bill prohibiting canal estate developments in Tasmania, together with updating of the Tasmanian State Coastal Policy to reflect such a decision. Vanessa Goodwin gave in-principle support to such a Bill.