Gutwein’s New Planning Laws
Peter Gutwein’s new planning laws are a gift to international property developers who are buying up large swathes of Tasmania. Gutwein has sold out to these multinational corporations that have no connection to the values that make our island home unique. Instead they have a history of trashing their places of business, taking unique and beautiful places and making them bland and uninviting.
Act now: stop this over-development of our island
Gutwein is too weak to say no to the influence they bring and they will not hesitate to work together to comprise our planning system further. Gutwein’s “faster, cheaper, sooner” will destroy the values that people who live here, holiday here and move here to put down roots, share: a human scale liveable city, with a views to the horizon and charming heritage character. Our island’s small businesses will suffer under this new scheme. Multinationals can make bad business partners, they use their size to buy influence and push their agenda. Is this the future we want for Tasmania? We have to take a stand together, to set the direction our Tasmania will take over the coming years. We have a choice. We can accept Gutwein’s deal sell our island off piece by piece, or we can stand up to the property developers and demand a planning scheme that serves all Tasmanians and the things they hold dear.
Gutwein’s new planning scheme is a gift to International Property Developers
The TCT is concerned that these new laws give the Planning Minister the ability to make statewide changes and revisions without consultation. The planning minister could ‘shift the goal posts’ for a particular development – such as the Fragrance Tower Proposal at 30 Davey St, Hobart pictured above. Changes to planning affect everyone and therefore should only be made after thorough consultation with the community. Under the SPP it will be easier for development to occur in National Parks, reserves and on Crown land. It is vitally important that any new development in these areas be subject to rigorous scrutiny and planning process. But under the SPP the level of public oversight will decrease. Residents ability to comment on buildings in their local area has been stripped back. Councils ability to scrutinise developments that are categorised as ‘permitted’ has been reduced. We need your help to undo these new planning laws. Contact us today if you would like to be involved in our campaign to roll back the State Planning Provisions.
SCRAP GUTWEIN’S NEW LAW PLANNING LAWS
The Tasmanian Conservation Trust supports the six points put forward by the Planning Matters Alliance of Tasmania for reform in this area. Tasmania needs a planning system that protects local character and urban identity, allows for community oversight and does not favour the interests of a select group. Sign the petition to support these six points as a framework for planning reform in Tasmania (the petition will appear at the bottom of the page).
Dear Minister for Planning
The Planning Matters Alliance Tasmania considers that, to achieve the best future for Tasmania, the planning system must incorporate the following six points of good planning:
– Community and Environment: prioritise the health and well-being of the whole community, the liveability of cities, towns and rural areas, and the protection of the natural environment and cultural heritage.
– Strategic Vision: establish and implement a community endorsed, sustainable, long-term strategic vision for Tasmania,.
– Transparency and Independence: ensure that planning and decision-making processes are open and transparent, and overseen by an independent commission, with appeals heard by an independent tribunal.
– Community Involvement: provide opportunities for informed community input in planning matters and decisions, including provision of appeal rights.
– Integrated Approach: provide an integrated assessment process across all types of developments on all land tenures which includes consistent provision of mediation, public comment and appeal rights.
– Implementation: consistent with the above principles, planning to be shared between state and local government, with local government to retain primary responsibility for local planning and development decisions, through community consultation.