The revised Development Assessment Panels (DAPs) legislation will remove the community’s right to take planning appeals against development approvals and remove elected councillors from having a say over controversial developments in our local communities.’
“The Tasmanian Government announcement that it will introduce ‘enabling legislation’ to pave way for Macquarie Point Stadium is another example of setting aside a legislated robust planning process to increase the likelihood of gaining planning approval,” says Sophie Underwood, State Director of the Planning Matters Alliance Tasmania.
“This is a powerful demonstration of how the Tasmanian Government, including the Labor opposition, will disregard any advice from the Tasmanian Planning Commission that is not to its liking. What hope does the community have that so-called independent Development Assessment Panels (DAPs) will give true scrutiny to controversial applications?
“The prize the Government and property sector want more than anything is to weaken the community’s voice by removing planning appeal rights, helping ensure they are more likely to get their developments approved.
“Far from taking the politics out of planning as claimed, DAPs give enormous power to the Government of the day to approve developments that align with their personal priorities.”
“DAP decisions made by the Tasmanian Planning Commission will be final,”
says Ms Underwood, noting that there will be no right for the community to appeal the final decision to the planning tribunal. Developments would only be appealable to the Supreme Court on an error in law.
‘PMAT welcomes the continued opposition announced last week by Local Government Association of Tasmania where Tasmanian councils were united in rejecting the DAP Bill.’
“The state government has made only minor and cosmetic changes to the DAPs legislation and the key flaws remain”, said Tasmanian Conservation Trust CEO Peter McGlone.
PMAT calls on the community to make a submission again via their submission guide to scrap the anti-democratic 2025 DAPs Bill as they say it is no different to last time.
“The Tasmanian Government’s renewed push for DAPs is another demonstration they don’t care about the community or Local Government,” says Ms Underwood, “In 2024, we saw huge opposition against the DAPs Bill with 92% of submissions (444/482) against, every local Council opposed, and the Legislative Council voted it down. This Bill is not significantly different to last time.”
Submissions on the 2025 DAPs Bill close between Easter and ANZAC Day on Thursday 24 April 2025 at 5 pm.
Media Release – Local government rejects the State Government’s updated Development Assessment Panels, 11th April 2025
At the recent Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT) General Meeting in Hobart, Tasmanian councils were united in rejecting the current Development Assessment Panel Bill.
The Government has not provided any evidence as to why this reform is needed.
The fact is our existing development assessment process is the fastest in the country.
LGAT President and Break O’Day Council mayor Mick Tucker said that “a mere one per cent of discretionary applications across the state go to appeal, and importantly the determinations made by elected representatives were no more likely to be appealed than those determined by council officers”.
Our sector is asking the State Government to focus its efforts on completing the planning reform projects that are already underway, like the long overdue update to the Regional Land Use Strategies and improvements to our subdivision legislation.
“This new process does little to support proponents, all it does is add further layers to an already complex planning system and require the duplication of administrative and technical functions to a planning workforce in local and State Government already under significant pressure,” Mayor Tucker said.
Local government stands ready to work with the Government on the planning reforms that will support our growing local communities.
