Tempus Village, a retirement village proposed for Swansea, rejected by Tasmanian Planning Commission

The rejection of a plan for a retirement village on the East Coast has prompted an angry response from the “absolutely devastated” proponents.

A retirement village proposed for the state’s East Coast has been knocked back by the Tasmanian Planning Commission, leaving the proponents and investors “dismayed and shocked”.

Tempus Village was set to be built on 16.9ha of vineyard and merino farm Kelvedon Estate, about 4km south of Swansea, and would have housed more than 200 people.

The land in question – zoned significant agriculture – is currently cleared and is chiefly used for grazing.

An artist’s impression of the proposed Tempus retirement village.

The proponents, Tempus Village Management Pty Ltd and property owner Jack Cotton, were seeking a permit for stage one of construction, which would have included a two-lot subdivision providing for a community centre building and observatory, a display unit, workshop buildings, landscaping, signage, and on-site services and infrastructure.

The village would have offered three levels of care, with 140 independent living units, 30 assisted living units and 44 nursing home suites, including a dementia ward.

The proposed location for Tempus, a rural retirement village the size of 28 international soccer pitches planned for Tasmania’s East Coast. Picture: SUPPLIED

However, following a series of Tasmanian Planning Commission hearings held across October and November last year, the commission refused the permit on Thursday.

Tempus Village managing director Les Walden said the development required the commission to approve the rezoning of the land to a particular purpose zone and he was extremely disappointed at its refusal.

“We don’t believe there was an open mind to this vision of rural retirement and nursing home that we were presenting and we have asked the Planning Minister Roger Jaensch for a ministerial review of the decision,” Mr Walden said.

“We are dismayed and shocked that the three-member panel of the (TPC) ignored the advice and recommendation of the (Glamorgan-Spring Bay) Council as a planning authority, and ignored our independent experts.

“Most of all, the majority of the community wanted this project to happen and we have a database of people from the area and beyond who were looking forward to living in this rural retirement concept who will be absolutely devastated, as we are.”

The proposed site plan for the Tempus retirement village on Tasmania's East Coast at Swansea. Picture: SUPPLIED

The TPC said it was concerned the surrounding agricultural land would be “fettered as a result of the introduction of sensitive use”.

“The commission does not consider that the evidence precludes the use of the site for future agricultural production, particularly in association with a nearby enterprise,” the decision read.

The TPC said “it appears on the evidence” that retirement villages and aged care facilities for Swansea residents could be accommodated within the township itself.

It said the proposal was not consistent with the regional strategy and hadn’t been prepared in accordance with key state policies.

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