On Govt Moving to ‘Fix’ Droughty Point UGB …

Media release – Michael Ferguson, Minister for Planning, 10 March 2023

Getting things done to deliver more homes for Tasmanians

The Rockliff Liberal Government will take action to ensure the Droughty Point development moves forward and can be assessed by the independent Tasmanian Planning Commission.

Planning Minister Michael Ferguson has commenced consultation on amendments to the Southern Tasmania Regional Land Use Strategy to enable the area to be unlocked for much-needed housing for Tasmanians.

The purpose of the urban growth boundary is to indicate the ‘outer-limits’ of the Greater Hobart settlements and having a boundary on Droughty Point makes no sense.

“The Skylands proposal will deliver around 2,500 homes at Droughty Point, an area long identified for housing,” the Minister said.

“The Council’s astonishing decision to vote against the expert advice of their own planning department was a vote against common sense, but we will act where the Council has failed to ensure the project can be assessed fairly.

“Unlike the Labor Party, the Liberal Government does not accept this bad decision of the majority of councillors.

“Our amendment to the Strategy will clear the way for the Droughty Point development to be assessed fairly by the Tasmanian Planning Commission – as it should be – which will include public exhibition and public hearings.

“We will always support the right of proponents to have their proposals considered through an appropriate assessment process, and our Government will always take action to get things done and ensure important developments like this can be assessed on their merits.

“Our actions stand in stark contrast to the Labor opposition, who have unbelievably backed the Council’s decision to block the project proceeding and deliver 2,500 homes for Tasmanians.

“Labor’s decision to back the Council’s decision has shredded what little credibility they might’ve had on housing.

“This is even worse than Dean Winter’s stubborn opposition to 450 new lots for social and affordable housing at Huntingfield.”

Luke Edmunds MLC, Shadow Minister for Local Government & Planning, 10 March 2023

Ferguson must address seven years of statewide inaction

The planning mess at Skylands/Droughty Point lays at the feet of one person: Planning Minister Michael Ferguson.

Minister Ferguson is the one who refused an Urban Growth Boundary extension request from Clarence City Council only last year saying that “… an amendment to the UGB… would be both premature and potentially undermine the Greater Hobart Plan and its implementation.”*

Now, after a week of insisting this mess was not his responsibility, Minister Ferguson now claims he will “intervene” to address his own failure.

This should have been dealt with in 2016, when a full review of Urban Growth Boundaries was due. Instead, Ferguson and the Liberals have created seven years of workarounds and band-aids which clearly aren’t working.

No wonder developers, councillors and the community are in limbo. No one knows which rules they are playing by under Minister Ferguson.

Both sides of the council debate expressed frustration when making their decision over the lack of action and policy ambiguity on the Urban Growth Boundary under the Liberals.

This development has the potential to deliver thousands of much-needed new homes for the greater Hobart area, and it is the Liberals’ tangled policy and lack of action that is to blame for the refusal of this critical housing.

Until Minister Ferguson gets on with the review that was due seven years ago, we will continue to see more needless refusals of much-needed housing developments to address the housing crisis.

* https://www.yoursay.ccc.tas.gov.au/52-richardsons-road-ugb

Media release – Rosalie Woodruff MP, Greens Planning spokesperson, 10 March 2023

Ferguson Wrong to Override Clarence Council

Planning Minister Michael Ferguson’s intervention to override a planning decision by Clarence City Council is wrong, unnecessary, and shows a disdain for democracy.

Earlier this week the Council voted 9 to 3 against extending the Urban Growth Boundary on Droughty Point, citing a range of valid concerns. Given the Planning Minister said in July last year that changes to the growth boundary could “undermine the Greater Hobart Plan and its implementation” and that any amendment would be “subject to a thorough and comprehensive assessment process”, it is reasonable to think he would have supported the Council’s decision.

Instead we’ve seen Minister Ferguson rush to override the Council’s decision without following any assessment or consultation process. This intervention shows contempt for the people of Clarence, and will raise alarm bells for Councils around Tasmania.

The Planning Minister can pretend his actions are about dealing with the housing crisis, but Tasmanians see straight through him. Like everything with the Liberals, this is about maximising profit.

Minister Ferguson and the Liberals could step in and put limits on short stay accommodation right now to ease Tasmania’s housing crisis. Instead, Michael Ferguson is refusing to act, while personally profiting through his own AirBnB.

Little wonder he’s happy to do whatever it takes to boost the profits of big developers.

The Minister should tell the truth and admit that laying out the red carpet for developer profits is not going to help with the immediate supply issues in the housing market. After all, development approvals are already outstripping building commencements.

If Michael Ferguson was serious about delivering better housing outcomes for Tasmanians, he would support any number of evidence-based policies, like putting strong limits on AirBnB and other short stay rentals, introducing an empty homes levy, and stopping unreasonable rent hikes are all options he could pursue.