Concerns Hobart City Council planning scheme places too much emphasis on heritage elements

Hobart’s planning scheme has been accused of stunting development by placing too much emphasis on maintaining the city’s heritage.

An artist’s impression of the proposed development at the site of the Rebels’ former clubhouse in North Hobart. Picture: SUPPLIED

HOBART’S planning scheme has been accused of stunting development by placing too much emphasis on maintaining the city’s heritage.

Numerous aldermen have spoken out against the Hobart Interim Planning Scheme after several development applications have been recently recommended for refusal on heritage grounds.

It comes as a proposed demolition and townhouse development at the former Rebels bikie gang clubhouse in North Hobart was recommended for rejection on the grounds that knocking down the house would detract and diminish cultural heritage values.

The 1906 Italianate-style brick house on the site is not individually heritage listed but does form part of the North Hobart Heritage Precinct. The planning committee and full Hobart City Council is set to consider the application on Monday night.

The contentious Welcome Stranger proposal was also refused on heritage grounds.

Alderman Simon Behrakis said the balance was skewed.

“The current heritage provisions are far too prohibitive to allow the development the city needs to grow,” he said.

Hobart City Council Alderman Tanya Denison. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

“There are many important heritage buildings that we need to maintain, but not everything that is old holds heritage significance. The Rebels clubhouse is a perfect example of that.”

Ald Behrakis said the Welcome Stranger proposal was recommended for approval under every planning scheme criteria except heritage — on a non-heritage listed site — but the heritage code took priority.

MORE NEWS:

TASSIE SUBURB IS AUSTRALIA’S ASHES NURSERY

AFL TOURISM A BIG WINNER FOR TASMANIA

TASSIE’S TOP BUSINESS ACHIEVERS REVEALED

Ald Tanya Denison said she was very concerned about the grounds for refusal for the former clubhouse and what it meant for future applications in Hobart’s inner-residential areas.

“Assessing an application against what the building once was seems fundamentally flawed when there are many other quality homes within the precinct that have retained their heritage values and tell the story of development in the area,” Ald Denison said.

“Exactly what ‘heritage’ are we losing that isn’t lost already?

“The former Rebels clubhouse in North Hobart is not heritage listed and is an eye sore in its current state. This application seeks to return the use of the property to housing.”

But Acting Lord Mayor and planning committee chair Helen Burnet said its previous use as a bikie clubhouse should not impact the decision.

The former Rebels clubhouse in North Hobart.

“We have a planning scheme that values those things that are real signatures of our city,” Councillor Burnet said.

She said the importance of the current building in the area’s heritage fabric had been spelt out quite consistently to the applicant since the beginning.

“It looks like the council officers have made a number of attempts to suggest that keeping the heritage fabric was an important component. I expect that will be the issue of discussion on Monday.”

[e-mail]