Draft Southern Tasmania Regional Land Use Strategy

The Draft Southern Tasmania Regional Land Use Strategy is the first step in a process designed to “facilitate and manage change, growth and development in Southern Tasmania over the next 25 years”. It is currently available at www.stca.tas.gov.au and submissions will be accepted until the 6th December.

The intention is to create a unified framework that covers the entire region so that if a planning zone is described as, say, ‘Commercial’ or ‘Rural Living’ in one area the rules are the same in other areas. In the Huon Valley, for instance, there are currently three different planning schemes with different rules in each. This makes it really difficult for planners and developers. With a region that includes Greater Hobart, the Derwent Valley, the Southern Midlands and the coast from Port Davey to Bicheno this is a complex task and consequently the document is 150 pages long. Don’t be daunted! Much of it is repetition and you can simply focus on the aspects that concern you directly.

I’ve not been able to get through it all yet but have noticed that the first part of the document – the part that outlines the Policies – seems well thought out and makes a lot of sense. Just when you’re beginning to feel comfortable you get to the “Zoning Framework” and things start to come undone. It’s almost as if it was written by someone who hadn’t even read the rest of the document. Some of the proposed zones don’t correspond at all with the philosophy put forward in the first section. But this is the pointy end: the part that really needs public scrutiny and input.

This is what will define what actually happens when the Strategy is implemented. This is what developers will pick through to find loopholes that allow them to maximise returns at the expense of communities and the environment. Already I know of people who are changing the nature of their properties in the hope that this will allow them to subdivide when the plan is adopted. Fine, if it’s in a suitable area but this could also be a disaster for some of the most scenic areas in Tasmania.

Send comments to planners@stca.tas.gov.au before 6th December.