Kingborough zoning changes spark backlash from rural landowners
Kingborough council is forging ahead with controversial conservation planning changes, placing a Margate couple’s plan to house their ageing mother in jeopardy. They say they’re not alone.
When Kim and Adrian Phillips moved into a newly built home on five acres of land at Margate in 2008, they thought they had found paradise.
But the couple’s dream of one day adding a granny flat on the property to accommodate ageing parents now hangs in the balance, with restrictive zoning changes proposed by Kingborough Council currently before the Tasmanian Planning Commission.
While Ms Phillips appreciates the council’s obligation to comply with provisions of the new statewide planning scheme, she argued her property’s “inappropriate” re-categorisation as Landscape Conservation Zone would severely limit its development opportunities, and negatively impact its market value.
And Ms Phillips is not alone in her concerns, with hundreds of Kingborough residents writing submissions to the TPC assessment process, making representations at the planning body’s ongoing public hearings, and attending a recent town hall meeting over the issue.
Although Ms Phillips is hopeful her property’s interim LCZ determination will ultimately be overturned in favour of Rural Living Zone, she remains critical of the council’s efforts to consult and communicate with Kingborough residents about the changes.
“Council have had this piece of work for a long time, but kept saying they hadn’t had the chance to look at our properties with boots on ground to conduct a proper assessment,” she said.
“So I think they have taken this broadbrush method to apply the Landscape Conservation Zone to just under 1600 properties within the Kingborough municipality.
“The LCZ would really limit our ability to develop and use our own land, because one of its main changes is that residential use becomes discretionary.”
Mr and Ms Phillips said most Kingborough LCZ residents simply wanted to transition to a living zone, rather than a conservation zone, not least because of the reduced ability to clear land for bushfire-safety purposes.
But it is the shadow cast over the couple’s long-term dream of building a granny flat on their property which is really keeping them both up at night.
“We do have ageing parents, and Adrian’s mum is on her own now because his dad has already passed away,” Ms Phillips said.
“Our plan was always to build a flat for her, and our concern is that it would not be allowable under the LCZ restrictions.
“It’s got to the point where we are thinking and worrying about it all the time.
“We feel lucky to have a property, but it’s hard when your only asset is being devalued through the decision of a council, who did not even write to us.”
Kingborough Council chief executive, Dave Stewart, said the council had adhered to all legal consulting obligations regarding its draft Local Provisions Schedule, as the local government body moves towards joining the state’s single planning scheme.
But Mr Stewart said council had actually gone above and beyond the minimum communication requirements, in order to provide residents with the greatest opportunity to understand a new zoning regime that will ultimately be decided by the TPC.
Mr Stewart said public engagement strategies included multiple public notices placed in both The Mercury and the Kingborough Chronicle, social media posts, press releases, direct emails to registered residents, a dedicated webpage, an interactive mapping tool including instructional video, four public information sessions held across the municipality, and group presentations.
“Following the close of consultation, the TPC contacted all representers to invite them to attend hearings, which are being held in Hobart, Kingston, and Bruny Island,” Mr Stewart said.
“Council acknowledges that some residents are concerned about the LCZ and its potential impacts. These concerns were outlined in the s35F Report, which also identified council’s willingness to consider alternative approaches.
“One challenge is that the available zones under the TPS do not always align neatly with the characteristics of Kingborough’s varied landscapes.
“The LCZ zoning seeks to protect the important environmental values of an area, but importantly still maintains provisions for the development of homes and other land uses under discretionary criteria.
“Council remains committed to working with the TPC through the hearings process to achieve the right balance between ensuring liveability, and preserving landscape and natural values.
“Detailed and reliable information is available on council’s website, and residents are also encouraged to engage directly with the TPC if they have questions about the process.
It is understood that the TPC will not make a final decision on Kingborough’s draft LPS before April 2026.
Originally published as Kingborough zoning changes spark backlash from rural landowners
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