Media release – YIMBY Hobart, 24 July 2024
YIMBY Hobart says ‘Yes’ to UTAS Move
A new group, YIMBY Hobart, has publicly endorsed the University of Tasmania’s city move.
YIMBY stands for Yes In My Backyard. YIMBYs advocate for more housing where people want to live.
The UTAS move, which will consolidate most of the Southern UTAS Campus in the Hobart CBD, will support the development of more than 2000 new dwellings across 5 precincts on the University’s current Sandy Bay and Mount Nelson sites.
Over 2,000 high-quality, well-located homes with a mix of housing and tenure will go a long way to easing Hobart’s housing crisis. This development will also take pressure off booming growth suburbs and reduce spending on new services and infrastructure.
Moving the university will also make it easier for people from Hobart’s northern and eastern suburbs to get to school via public and active transport, reducing congestion and improving accessibility for people who don’t own a car.
The newly formed YIMBY Hobart came together in the wake of public outrage at the recent decision by the Hobart City Planning Committee to reject a major social housing project for women over the age of 50 despite recommendation from its own planning experts that it be approved.
YIMBY Hobart wants to see more medium-density and infill housing built close to transport and amenities. They also want to see greater and faster investment in public and active transport, and improved accessibility for amenities such as education, healthcare and community facilities.
Quotes attributable to YIMBY Hobart spokesperson Lachlan Rule:
“YIMBY Hobart is here to advocate for more housing where people want to live.
“Moving the university from Sandy Bay into the CBD will free up land for over 2,000 high-quality, well located homes with a mix of housing and tenure types. To us, it’s a no-brainer.
“Our current housing market, regardless of whether you are renting or buying, is built on scarcity. We want housing abundance, giving people choice about how and where they live, lowering prices and increasing the bargaining power of renters and buyers.”
Quotes attributable to YIMBY Hobart spokesperson Susan Wallace:
“When you look at the UTAS precinct plans for Sandy Bay and Mount Nelson you can see a great deal of time and thought has gone into access, environment, heritage, community building and a genuine mixture of housing options. It makes a lot of sense. In fact, it’s exciting.
“All too often those in our community who support housing proposals don’t raise their voices so all the decision makers hear are objections.
“That’s why the formation of YIMBY Hobart was necessary to ensure there is strong public advocacy for medium-density and infill housing built close to transport and amenities in the city we love and live in.”
For more information see the YIMBY Hobart Website and FAQ here.
Sarah Lovell MLC, Shadow Minister for Education & Early Years, 23 July 2024
Ogilvie walks back UTAS policy in embarrassment
Madeleine Ogilvie has been forced to sensationally walk back the Liberals’ UTAS Freeze Legislation – which has been exposed as nothing more than a desperate attempt to win votes in Sandy Bay at the expense of education, housing and jobs.
Announcing their position in February, the Liberals said they would ban the University of Tasmania from selling off land at its Sandy Bay campus.
This week, Ms Ogilvie has sensationally tried to deny the new laws were designed to prevent the sale of the campus, saying “There is nothing stopping UTAS disposing of the land which was gifted to them by the government”.
Nothing, except for the very legislation they tabled – which freezes the University’s assets and prevents the development of world-class educational facilities and blocks nearly 2,000 new houses.
It is becoming clearer and clearer this policy was designed for nothing more than to secure votes in Sandy Bay.
It’s unbelievable that Jeremy Rockliff still wants to stand in the way of a $500 million science and technology facility and 2,000 new homes. The legislation is embarrassing and should be abandoned.
Mercury front page, 27 February 2024:
Media release – Dean Winter MP, Labor Leader; Sarah Lovell MLC, Shadow Minister for Education, 22 July 2024
Launceston UTAS move shows what’s possible for Hobart
Great education gives young Tasmanians access to well paid, safe, and secure jobs.
University of Tasmania’s new campus at Inveresk has been a huge boost for the city of Launceston since relocating from Newnham.
It features new state-of-the-art study, work, and community spaces, coupled with contemporary course offerings and world class research facilities. It is a vibrant city campus that attracts students to Tasmania from across the country, and internationally to pursue tertiary education and a fulfilling career.
Hobart students should have the same opportunity to access world-class facilities, like those available to students at the Inveresk campus.
The new campus has a clear connection to the city and wider community – the buildings are visible, publicly accessible and provide new and exciting ways for education to connect with business and industry.
The Hobart city move has a chance to reinvigorate parts of the CBD in ways that will be exciting for businesses. City universities across the world are thriving, and we only have to look as far as Launceston to see the benefits in our own backyard.
Labor will oppose the Liberal Lambie Coalition’s Legislation, in the best interests of students, the University and our state.
Media release – Dean Winter MP, Labor Leader, 21 July 2024
Improving access to University
Labor stands for safe, secure and well-paid jobs. Access to great education is vital to getting people into these jobs.
Local government entities have endorsed the UTAS city move because it improves access to education for students. The Hobart, Glenorchy, Clarence and Kingborough mayors signed off on the Hobart City Deal, which committed them to working with the Tasmanian and Australian Government’s towards moving the Sandy Bay Campus into the City.
Other southern councils like Sorell – where now Liberal MLC, Kerry Vincent was Mayor – also indicated their strong support for the move.
These endorsements, more than five years ago, are some of the reasons why the move is already about 70 per cent underway or completed. One of the key reasons for that support was because a University in the city is easier for students to access. Greater Hobart’s limited public transport system is focussed on the city making it a far easier destination to get to by bus from everywhere in southern Tasmania.
It could mean the difference between a student being able to attend university and not. It puts students closer to where many of them work – in the city.
The Liberal-Lambie University Freeze Legislation puts everything at risk. By freezing the University’s assets, the Premier risks the University’s finances.
It’s unbelievable that Jeremy Rockliff still wants to stand in the way of a $500 million STEM facility and 2,000 new homes. The legislation is embarrassing and should be abandoned.
