The first Planning Directive was to create, in effect, a single state planning scheme via the Common Key Elements Template. The second one substantially diminishes local government power and substantially diminishes our democratic rights. It is against Tasmania Together’s goals and obviously written by a four year old.
Planning Directive No 2 means that pipelines and other infrastructure including road upgrades and vegetation clearance do not require a planning permit and thus no objection or appeal can be mounted under the RMPS.
The development is deemed automatically approved. It does not matter if it goes through a reserve, your land, threatened species habitat, despoils important national estate heritage, endangered vegetation. None of that is considered because there is no planning process allowing for the alarm bells to be raised. There would be no advertisement. The consequences are potentially catastrophic.
Yes, it does not automatically grant an easement or acquire the land but the permission for the development, no matter what it is, no matter how stupid, no matter how destructive, has been given and there would be nothing you can do within the RMPS and LUPAA. It does not matter who the developer may be, you, me, Gunns, the gas people, irrigators, mining exploration etc. Thus the land acquisition fight is far harder because development approval has been given.
The consequences are far reaching and there would not be a single sustainability outcome in such a regulation. If you look at the objects of the RMPS you will see that such a directive would not support them. It is impossible.
The State Government is obviously in the middle of destroying local government. Gone is water and sewerage. Regional planning is being attempted without proper institutions and seemingly without proper consultation. The planning system is being gutted.
And now the state is intending via this directive to amend local government schemes, obviously without reference to those local governments. It is far more fascist than a directive, it is a putsch.
Everyone should read Planning Directive No 2 and the objects of the legislation (RMPS and LUPAA) and then to lodge an objection and be prepared to go to an appeal (if there is one). Note also there is a suite of legislative amendments to the planning laws up for comment at the same time.
I believe Planning Directive No 2 warrants federal intervention.
There may be no organised crime in Tasmania but there is the State Government.
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