Launceston development: DA for Stage 3 of The Stables lodged

More than 10ha of land formerly used to stable harness racing horses would become a vastly expanded residential estate, with two smaller stages already gobbled up by the market.

Plans have been lodged with a northern Tasmanian council seeking permission to subdivide more than 10ha of under-utilised land into 69 residential lots, vastly expanding a fledgling estate named for the harness racing horses formerly stabled there.

Lodged in June by consultants Rebecca Green & Associates on behalf of the Wilkes family, the application seeks to subdivide the family’s remaining 10.19ha of land at 1 Jocks Ct, Punchbowl, in Launceston’s south, into 69 residential lots and two lots of public open space.

According to the application, the 69 new lots, Stage 3 of estate The Stables, would be serviced by a new, horseshoe shaped road called Gallopers Rise, providing frontage to all lots.

Lots would be sized between 643 sqm and 10219 sqm, with the two lots of proposed public open space measuring a combined 8272 sqm.

Stages 1 and 2 of The Stables have been previously approved and developed, comprising 21 residential lots in the lower, Western portion of the Wilkes’ landholding, which has been in their ownership since about 1950.

Rebecca Green & Associates principal Rebecca Green noted that Stage 3 may be substaged.

“Although it is unknown if the third stage of subdivision will be staged further, should any staging occur, this will be based on market demand at the time,” she said.

Stage 3 of the estate would require the removal of some vegetation zoned scenic management area on Lots 47-52, at the end of Ellison St.

The site is considered a bushfire risk requiring mitigation, an addended bushfire hazard management report noted.

Auctioneer David Parry, of Invermay’s Parry Property, has previously said the Wilkes’ were involved in harness racing and they ran horses on their land, which was dotted with the stables which inspired the name of the estate.

Mr Parry, who auctioned off the land in Stages 1 and 2, previously noted the proximity of the estate to Newstead and Punchbowl Reserve.

When contacted by the Mercury, Mr Parry said he had had his eye on the Wilkes’ land holding since he got into real estate a decade ago.

He noted it was one of the few remaining greenfield sites of such size within 3km of the Launceston CBD.

Mr Parry, who will be selling the Stage 3 lots if and when they are approved, said they would be likely to hit the market by the end of 2022, providing there are no unexpected snags.