Stairway to Claremont or Light-Rail to Hell

Planning authority members are bound by the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993.

The Act prescribes that It is the obligation of any person on whom a function is imposed or a power is conferred under this Act to perform the function or exercise the power in such a manner as to further the objectives set out in the relevant Schedule.

The objectives of the schedule highlight that the resource management and planning system in Tasmania are to promote the sustainable development of natural and physical resources, are to provide for the fair, orderly and sustainable use and development of air, land and water. It also states that councils should be encouraging public involvement in this resource management and planning process from the start.

Local councillors on the planning authority are bound to facilitate economic development in accordance with differing objectives, such as increasing the number and density of dwellings, overseeing residential growth in the local area, ensuring infrastructure capacity is used efficiently, providing for a range of dwelling types and sizes appropriate to the location, and encouraging efficient utilisation of residential land and services in inner urban areas.

The outcomes noted to achieve this for our local precincts are items such as: applying Inner Residential zoning (which allows for greater residential density) to residential areas within approximately 10 minutes walkable distance of the Glenorchy, Moonah and Claremont activity centres and otherwise within approximately 5 minutes of the Main Road high frequency public transport corridor.

It also includes the encouraging of mixed-use residential development within these activity centres. All the while we are also avoiding, remedying or mitigating any adverse effects of activities on the environment and promoting a shared responsibility for resource management and planning between the different spheres of government, the community and industry in the state.

Sustainable development means managing the use, development and protection of natural and physical resources in a way, or at a rate, which enables people and communities to provide for their social, economic and cultural well-being, as well as for their health and safety.

This intention of measured balance is directly undermined by our current policy makers, local leadership, the interim planning schemes, building codes, zoning, external reports, officer recommendations and overarching state-wide legislation ‘in action’… especially when politics is involved.

Our current housing crisis appears to be a favoured policy justification for this approach in Tasmania, although the experts in most relevant fields of housing research often disagree.

The time to ‘leverage’ better planning and development outcomes for local communities is via the initial stages, when first approached by the developer and considered by the council. This is when the council (key leadership) set the standard for what is acceptable in that area, align the law holistically and closely drive outcomes for that specific region, plan or development.

These early discussions are where key guidance is provided by council, therefore the initial standards for that local area can be delivered in a more robust, clarified and balanced way. Once that ball is rolling and developers are meeting the relevant laws, often only just, it’s usually too late for the remaining committee members to professionally justify an opposing vote in accordance with the law and at the risk of tribunal costs that end up being attributed to our ratepayers.

It’s time to hold our key leaders accountable for robustly aligning and communicating all aspects of the Act equally to approaching developers, including the social and environmental legislation.

Being clear from the start not only assists developers by reducing their workload such as the need to go back and forth, for sometimes years, but also helps to ensure that the community and relevant experts input is not only encouraged, but seriously considered when it counts most.

Kelly Sims is a local city councillor (Glenorchy) and published writer who has a background in mental health, community development, education and business. A coffee addict who enjoys working on the farm and exploring the local bush land with her two horses.