Felix Ellis says planning changes to be debated this week

The government’s controversial planning changes will be introduced in parliament this week. Read the latest in the heated debate.

202 Macquarie Street Hobart. Site of a new development. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

The government’s controversial legislation to change the state’s planning laws will be introduced into parliament this week with Labor leader Dean Winter supporting it in principle but likening Planning Minister Felix Ellis to Donald Trump over his dealings with local government.

Mr Ellis said the pressure was on Mr Winter and the parliament to support the legislation for Development Assessment Panels, widely condemned by local government who says DAPs will allow developers to bypass the State Planning Scheme and strip appeal rights from local residents.

“He needs to decide whether he’s going to back in pro jobs legislation, pro housing legislation, or whether he’s going to continue to cuddle up with the Greens and to back in the anti-everything brigade,” Mr Ellis said.

Joined by the TCCI, Master Builders and Property Council, Mr Ellis said the legislation was “about backing in the builders, not the blockers”.

“If you meet the planning rules you should be good to go – whether that’s building more homes, growing a business, or delivering community infrastructure,” he said.

“This new legislation will give the community and business confidence to invest in housing and job-creation for all Tasmanians.” 

Minister for Housing, Felix Ellis discusses the new planning legislation to be tabled in parliament. Picture: Linda Higginson

Mr Winter accused Mr Ellis of “attacking local government, trying to create fights”.

“He’s been sort of like the Donald Trump you order from Wish,” he said.

“We support the principle of development assessment panels but we do need to see the legislation.

Labor leader Dean Winter. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Mr Winter said there were projects in Tasmania that “haven’t gone ahead that should have”.

He cited the Welcome Stranger development in Hobart which was a “fantastic proposal” for apartments but sat unused.

Master Builders Association CEO David Clerk welcomed the DAPs as an “alternate development pathway”.

“They’ll introduce consistency and certainly around decision making with panels that have planning professionals on it, they understand the code and will be assessing against the planning code,” he said.

Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said the bill the government consulted on had “some significant flaws and sloppy drafting”.

“They’ll need to fix those or Tasmania will be left with a bit of a mess. It seems unnecessarily hasty.”

Originally published as Felix Ellis says planning changes to be debated this week