On Monday night the Hobart City Council will consider calling for Development Applications for a suitable development at the Springs, Mt Wellington.
Alderman Jeff Briscoe, who introduced a notice of motion last month about possible expressions of interest at the Springs, said today that if the Council agreed with the recommendation of the Parks committee, it would provide an opportunity to seek a high quality commercial development on the Mountain on a site where the former Springs Hotel stood.
“The DA must be consistent with the Wellington Park Management Plan and a number of other minimum conditions must be met,” said Alderman Briscoe, “including conservation of the natural and cultural values.
“A Springs development would provide many jobs in the construction phase and a number of sustainable jobs in operating any facility – possibly without any community concerns as other recent proposals that have been floated for the mountain.
“A win-win for the mountain and the people of Hobart.
“And all details will need to be submitted in a DA application so that the project is open and transparent for the public.
“Architect Robert Morris-Nunn, the Council knows is interested in submitting a DA along the lines of his previous approved development.”
Background
Open agenda item Council Meeting Monday 22 Sept 2014
18. THE SPRINGS, WELLINGTON PARK – FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS – FILE REF: 70-42-5Ref. Closed PCSC Supp. 6, 11/9/2014That: 1. 2.
The Council consider development applications for The Springs site that are consistent with the Wellington Park Management Plan 2013, to be lodged by the end of January 2015.
Subject to any proponent being able to lodge a development application that is consistent with the Wellington Park Management Plan, that they be advised that the following information is required, as a minimum, to be addressed in order for the Council to consider providing “owner consent” for the lodgement of a development application pursuant to s52(1B) of the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993:
. (1) Conservation of natural and cultural values.
. (2) The management of risk to the development and visitors from
natural hazards.
. (3) Public facilities that promote the public use of The Springs.
. (4) Permanent visitor information and interpretation.
. (5) Provision for the Wellington Park Management Trust and/or City of Hobart to staff an information facility.
. (6) Provision of food and beverages to park visitors.
. (7) Designated meeting point for tours, interpretive programs and guided activities.
. (8) Secure storage for specific equipment used in the area.
. (9) A traffic management plan.
3. Mr Robert Morris-Nunn be advised of the Council’s decision.
4. The Wellington Park Management Trust be advised of the Council’s decision.
5. An appropriately worded media release be prepared and distributed.
6. Should Council provide consent to lodge a development application, under no circumstances should this consent be interpreted as land owner approval to proceed with a development.
• Eva Ruzicka: Just what scale of development do we really need at the Springs? No, I’ve said, no, to the large scale accommodation/resort/conference/restaurant styles of development. And for darn good reason. Living on the Mountain at Fern Tree for twenty years sharpened my appreciation for how easy it is to spoil a natural place. So distracted have we all been by various cable car and resort proposals for kuyanyi/Mt Wellington, by continuous reviews of the Wellington Park Management Trust’s Management Plan, that, really, we’ve often missed opportunities to capture appropriately scaled development that is both the benefit of the bio-reserve that is kunanyi/Mt Wellington, as well as all the people that want to go there. For twelve years nothing was done while Council chased the ephemera of a so-called eco-resort development then a cafe/restaurant development while the existing public facilities deteriorated and car parking started to clog the Springs out. More here
• (Ald) Jeff Briscoe, in Comments: UPDATE: HCC approved (9:3) the recommendation from the Parks Committee last night. Now the HCC will call for appropriate DAs to be lodged by end of January 2015. I believe this is a sensible way forward for commercial developments on the Mountain. Any DA will be assessed in an open and transparent way according to the planning laws. It should be noted that DAs are not popularity contests in social media but will succeed or fail on its merits and the safeguards that are built in the motion that was endorsed last night by majority of Council. Authorised by Jeff Briscoe 318 Liverpool Street Hobart (required by electoral laws )
