Media release – Jeremy Rockliff, Premier; Felix Ellis, Minister for Housing, Planning, and Consumer Affairs, 28 November 2024
Liberal Government delivers Stony Rise
Common sense has prevailed with the Stony Rise development to become a reality after strong action from the Tasmanian Liberal Government.
The Government’s Stony Rise legislation has passed both houses of Parliament, paving the way for this $40 million retail precinct.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said this much-needed development on the north west coast will proceed thanks to quick and decisive action to get Stony Rise off the ground.
“I said we’d take action to deliver this job-creating, economy-boosting development and that’s exactly what our Government has done,” Premier Rockliff said.
“This common sense solution has paved the way for this $40 million precinct that will include a range of retail, business, and other stores.
“The legislation passed by Parliament is more than just a development approval; it’s a message to investors that Tasmania is open for business.”
Minister for Housing, Planning, and Consumer Affairs, Felix Ellis, said the Liberal Government has taken action to back in jobs and development.
“Stony Rise is jobs-rich development that will benefit the north west coast for decades to come, and our Liberal Government has helped it become a reality,” Minister Ellis said.
Media release – Rosalie Woodruff MP, Greens Leader, 28 November 2024
Time for Premier Rockliff to be honest about Stony Rise donations
In an unbelievable response, Premier Rockliff said in Parliament he was unaware of the Stony Rise developer’s donation to the Liberal Party until Wednesday this week. In a Legislative Council briefing the same day, the developer Tipalea Partners admitted they had donated to the Liberal Party.
The Liberals have created special legislation and rushed it through Parliament to support this donor’s development. It was an extraordinary step that overrides Tasmania’s planning system and its checks and balances.
With Tipalea’s donation to the Liberals now revealed, does the Premier really expect Tasmanians to believe there was no quid pro quo?
The Premier refused to answer whether the Stony Rise developer had donated to the Liberal Party under Greens’ questions in Parliament last week. It’s astonishing a developer is more honest with the Tasmanian people about their political donations than the Premier.
The Liberal Party has earned a reputation of making dodgy deals with its corporate donors, but this is a new low. The Liberal Government is signalling it’s up for sale to any big business with cash to splash.
Which developer will the Liberals make a dodgy deal with next?
Media release – Shane Broad MP, Shadow Minister for Planning, Shadow Minister for Building & Construction, 28 November 2024
Stony Rise legislation welcomed, but points to deeper planning system issues
After leading the way to support the Stony Rise project, Labor has strongly welcomed legislation to approve the development passing through the upper house.
The $40 million Stony Rise development has significant community support and will create hundreds of jobs in the north west.
However the hurdles the development had to pass through highlight a deeper issue with Tasmania’s planning system – which the Liberals promised to fix ten years ago but like usual, have done nothing.
Labor will always back development that supports safe, secure and well-paid jobs.
Instead of band-aid solutions like we’ve seen with Stony Rise, Tasmania needs a planning system that works to allow sensible development that has the support of the community.
