Labor flags political ‘meddling’ in Kangaroo Bay hotel stoush

Labor has flagged the politics surrounding a proposal for a new hotel at Kangaroo Bay as murky and riddled with conflicts of interest. But the claims have been rejected by the Planning Minister. Latest in the stoush.

Kangaroo Bay Hotel. Picture: Supplied

“Liberal Party meddling”, conflicts of interest and a lack of transparency over a proposed 155-room hotel development at Kangaroo Bay did not stand to benefit the residents of Clarence, a

Labor MLC says.

The criticism has been rejected as ill-informed by Planning Minister Michael Ferguson.

Chinese-owned company Chambroad has lodged an application for the $50m Kangaroo Bay Hotel proposal to be assessed as a major project.

It is hoping to overrule the Clarence Council’s decision to refuse the project and have the project assessed by the Tasmanian Planning Commission.

But Opposition Local Government and Planning spokesman Luke Edmunds says the mess is being made worse by “Liberal Party meddling”.

“As the Liberal Party continues to stick its nose into the Kangaroo Bay development, two conflicts of interests involving both the Premier and the Planning Minister are making the issue worse, not better,” he said.

Labor MLC Luke Edmunds speaks to the media at Kangaroo Bay on Monday, August 21, 2023.

“On one hand, we have an extraordinary situation where Premier Jeremy Rockliff is receiving advice from one owner of Font PR, while another Font PR owner has site developer Chambroad as a client.

“While that conflict is live, the Premier has decided to intervene on Kangaroo Bay on behalf of Chambroad.”

“On the other hand, and in another clear conflict, Planning Minister Michael Ferguson is on the record endorsing the now Mayor of Clarence Brendan Blomeley in last year’s council elections, who, in the same brochure, vowed to ‘Return Kangaroo Bay to public hands’.

“The people of Clarence don’t need internal Liberal tensions making the mess at Kangaroo Bay even worse.”

Chambroad has previously received approval for a hotel and hospitality school, but it did not substantially commence the project on time, despite receiving extensions.

The development was first proposed in 2017 as a hotel and hospitality school.

Mr Ferguson said he would be guided by advice from his department on how to proceed.

“Labor don’t know what they’re talking about, yet again,” he said.

“What I can say publicly is that the owners of that site have now lodged an application for major project declaration, there’s a legal framework that I must follow and that I am following.

“I can’t pre-empt it, I may approve it, I may not approve it and I’m awaiting for that advice.”

“What I don’t want to see is politics in planning.

“What we want to see is developers having a sense of certainty that the planning scheme works for them, whether we’re talking about hotel developers, or mum and dad, home builders, we need developer certainty.’

Originally published as Labor flags political ‘meddling’ in Kangaroo Bay hotel stoush