Media release – YES In My Backyard (YIMBY), 14 December 2025
To the elected members of Hobart City Council
YIMBY Hobart writes in strong support of the proposed motion to limit car yard proliferation in Hobart’s CBD (Agenda item 18)*.
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YIMBY stands for YES In My Backyard. YIMBY Hobart advocates for:
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Housing abundance: More housing of all types where people want to live.
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A city for people at all ages and stages, of all means and abilities: Our city and suburbs should reflect the diversity of the community as a whole.
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Better access for everyone: Being an active participant in our city should not rely on owning a car.
Hobart is in the midst of a housing shortage. The most effective and least disruptive way to respond is to prioritise medium-density housing in existing activity centres, close to jobs, services and public transport. The Central Hobart Plan recognises the need to make better use of CBD land to support housing growth, commercial activity and vibrant street life. Every parcel used for low-value activities is a missed chance to deliver housing and strengthen the economic and social fabric of the city.
Broadacre car yards are a low-intensity, low-value use of CBD land. Large, paved lots dedicated to car storage create inactive frontages, reduce visual amenity and harm walkability. This runs counter to the Central Hobart Plan’s goal of creating a lively, well-connected, human-scale core. It also conflicts with the Hobart Transport Strategy, which emphasises improved active and public transport and the creation of streets and spaces that prioritise people over private vehicles.
Our concern is specific to broadacre car yards, the kind targeted by this proposal. Boutique showrooms that are integrated into apartment or other commercial developments can be compatible with an active, walkable city. These models use land more efficiently, contribute to street life and do not compromise housing development. This is not true of expansive, single-use car display and storage lots.
Broadacre car yards are far better suited to urban-fringe locations such as Cambridge or Brighton, where land is more abundant, access is car-oriented and their operation does not compete with high-value uses better suited to the central city. This motion will encourage the transition of these businesses to more appropriate areas.
For these reasons, YIMBY Hobart strongly supports the proposed ban on broadacre car yards in the CBD and urges councillors to back the motion. It is a practical reform that aligns with Hobart’s housing, transport and city shaping priorities.
Yours sincerely,
Lachlan Rule & Susan Wallace YIMBY Hobart
*Council Meeting Details
The Agenda Item 18 referred to in this letter belongs to the Hobart City Council meeting scheduled for tomorrow, Monday, 15 December 2025.
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