Here is a concept presented to the Devonport City Council on the possibility of moving the Spirits to the “Western Wharf” while utilizing the existing Wheat Silos with intention of finding solutions that enhance opportunities for other Devonport areas including East Devonport and Spreyton.
It includes converting the existing “Wheat Silos” into hotel/motel, a top level restaurant viewing the City and Mt Roland, convention and entertainment centres linked to a promenade cafe and wine bars connected to the CBD to the north while developing a Spirit Terminus with their administration and sales offices (in Tasmania not Victoria) with a multi-storey carpark that is envisaged to service CBD employees.
It is intended to be linked to “Living City Plan’ which the Devonport City Council launched two weeks ago while being interconnected to the creation of a Sustainable Plan for Devonport, the region and the “Whole North of the State”.
The Devonport City Council’s “Living City’s” motto and question is as follows;
“Living City” Changing the heart, reviving the region”
“How do you want your City to take shape over the next 20 years?”
Many comments have been made that the overall Wharf Concept would be like Salamanca, Darling Harbour or Fremantle but I believe we can get inspiration from what they did in Williamstown, Victoria, with the Devonport Wharf being a unique development, leading to it being mentioned in the same breath as the before mentioned wharf renewals.
Once formal consultation has been had with the Devonport City Council, the Living City Taskforce, Chamber of Commerce, all Businesses including East Devonport and Spreyton, other stakeholders and the “community as a whole”, linked to an overall vision for the City and the Region thus enhancing support, investment will come.
The economic and employment benefits to Devonport and the region would be enormous not only through the construction phase but also in the long term thus benefiting all in these obviously exciting times created through “Sustainable Planning”.
We are currently getting the concept out into the public arena so as to get “community input” and ideas that only enhance the “concepts” prospects.
The concept further explained:
The following is a concept presented to the Devonport City Council on the possibility of moving the Spirits to the Western Wharf and utilizing the existing Wheat Silos.
This includes a Hotel/Motel with various accommodations, a top level restaurant viewing the city and Mt Roland, convention and entertainment facilities. The before mentioned is linked on the Northern side to a promenade of cafes, wine bars, restaurants and an art precinct connected to the City centre at Steele and King Streets and the Living City Plan.
The long cool stores would be converted into an all year market with working Art Studios etc. while allowing recreational fishing back on the wharf thus adding to the precinct and Devonport.
On the Southern side of the Silos a proposed Spirit Terminus linked to the Spirits administration and sales offices with possibility of connecting other port related offices. In addition a Multi-Storey Carpark that is envisaged to service employees of the central business district.
A working port enhances tourism developments on wharves, to which the Spirits, Cement Australia Loading Facilities and the Fishing Fleet support this. A new look slipway catering for not only bigger boats but also specializing for wooden boats enhancing the Devonport’s Maritime Theme of the “Julie Burgess” and the Maritime Museum.
East Devonport needs to be totally included in the plans. An example of this would be the development of a retail outlet on the disused Tascot Templeton Site, such as a Bunnings.
With the Tascot Sites’ vicinity to the Port, Airport and Bass Highway with Tarleton Road and Brooke Street ready for truck movements this would create more daily traffic to East Devonport than the current Spirit of Tasmania traffic.
If the Spirits were to relocate this would allow the Searoad Terminal to move further north thus freeing up Port Area for the Commercial Fishing Boats thus opening up opportunities for the East Devonport Wharf Precinct.
The Wharf Concept itself is meant to be a trigger for ideas to come forward from the community with the intention of linking what is happening in Devonport to a Sustainable Plan (25 years plus) for the North of Tasmania.
This would secure The Spirits and Searoad Ships to Devonport while securing other industries and investment to the region and include developing Bass Strait as a real highway.
A wharf overhaul/revamp, interconnected to the Living City Plan and the new Spirit and Searoad Ships, this can only give Devonport a complete new facelift within the next 5 to 10 years.
Once formal consultation has been had with the Devonport City Council, the Living City Taskforce, Chamber of Commerce, all Businesses including East Devonport and Spreyton, other stakeholders and the “community as a whole”, linked to an overall vision for the City and the Region thus enhancing support, investment will come.
The Devonport City Council’s “Living City’s” motto and question is as follows;
“Living City” Changing the heart, reviving the region”
“How do you want your City to take shape over the next 20 years?”
Many comments have been made that the overall Wharf Concept would be like Salamanca, Darling Harbour or Fremantle but I believe we can get inspiration from what they did in Williamstown, Victoria with the Devonport Wharf being a unique development, leading to it being mentioned in the same breath as the before mentioned wharf renewals.
The economic and employment benefits to Devonport and the region would be enormous not only through the construction phase but also in the long term thus benefiting all in these obviously exciting times created through “Sustainable Planning”.
In Closing
Yes there needs to be many questions asked of the Devonport Wharf Concept to which the proponent is willing answer or find answers to.
I am continuing to work on this concept with the community, stakeholders and possible investors while looking for ideas and improvements that will make this concept a reality and even more sustainable with links that trigger our leaders to create a sustainable long term (25years and beyond) for Whole North of Tasmania.
If anyone has any ideas to add to this concept or even just to discuss this concept please don’t hesitate to contact me S. ‘Cush’ Allison on 0409 792 648 or at [email protected] even if you are against the concept or the idea of creating a long term plan for the region please contact.
Attached to this letter is the Plan and End View of the initial concept including a photo of the Wheat Silos framed by Mt Roland in the background and an aerial of the Devonport Port?
In addition, two initial letters of support that all give an idea of the possibilities?
The presenter Shayne ‘Cush” Allison is an ideas man from Port Sorell who has been working on sustainable developments in the Latrobe, West Tamar and Devonport Municipalities linked to an overall plan for the North of the State. These developments include a Marina and Resort (where possible closed-loop) at Port Sorell, creation of a blues/jazz bar on the Bell’s Parade Railway Bridge which would have saved this 125 year old bridge from demolition (proposal attached).
He has presented various proposals to the local and state governments on interconnecting certain developments and municipalities including the possibilities to the north of the state through the sealing of Browns Creek Road (commonly known as Yorktown Road). This road links Bakers Beach to the West Tamar and is connected to a vehicle carrying ferry operating from Clarence Point to Bell Bay thus making Devonport to Bridport a route of 110 klms. (Download below).
Cush Allison, as he is known, is a joiner by trade; grew up in Devonport, spent 5 years in the late 80’s in the Northern Territory moved to Port Sorell in the early 90’s with Partner Kim; in 1997 moved to Karratha in the Pilbara Region of WA; moved back to Port Sorell in 20022 and since 2004 has been trying to get sustainable developments off the ground driven by a passion for creating apprenticeships and sustainable employment to Regional Australia.
He is continually knocked backed with the Tassie comment: ‘It can’t done’; without any analysis done on the concept and little support by/from local and state governments. The question should be: ‘How can it be done’. He intends to continue to promote what he believes are ideas leading to developments that can be part of the solution for the state moving forward.
Download:
Bells_Parade_Bridge_Proposal_1.pdf
