$50 million Hobart Airport upgrade hits legal snag

The project has been anticipated for years, but faces a fresh hurdle, even as work starts.

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THE $50 million upgrade of the Hobart Airport roundabout has hit another snag — with local landowners saying it locks them out of their properties and starting legal action.

Construction has recently started on the long-delayed project but it is now heading for the courts after talks to solve an impasse over access broke down.

The upgrade was first announced in 2016 as part of the federal election campaign, but and the State Government has promised it will be finished by mid-2022.

But local landowner Greg Casimaty — who is part of a consortium with plans to for a multi-million development at Cambridge — says talks with the government over access have broken down.

“By choosing to renege on their commitment and now abandoning negotiations, the government is treating us with contempt and riding roughshod over our rights as Tasmanians,” he said.

Land Owner Greg Casimaty. The Airport Interchange is set to be delayed once again after the State Government reneged on a 2017 agreement with adjoining landowners, and this week abandoned good-faith negotiations to resolve the issue. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

“Unfortunately, this means the Airport Interchange now again faces likely delay, with a planning appeal on 24 and 25 September which could see the new design thrown out.

“What is worse is that this Liberal Government was content to scuttle advanced negotiations between the Department of State Growth and the landowners which would have resolved many of the issues despite its previous commitment to do otherwise” he continued.

“It broke its commitment on the pretext that because the landowners were appealing it could not talk, mediate or resolve the matter.”

The consortium which own 86 hectares of land at the site have plans to develop a “light industrial and bulky goods business park.

They say that they were promised a two-way access road between the airport interchange and a location near the Golf Park, with a one-way on-ramp onto the city-bound side of the highway.

But it was left out of the latest design, Mr Casimaty said.

“It’s unfortunate that even though an agreement was in sight for road access to our land, the Government walked away,” he said.

Land Owner Greg Casimaty. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

“We’re more than happy to pay our fair share, but the Government needs to also be reasonable when it comes to an accurate cost for the roadworks needed to connect our property.

“We, like all Tasmanians, just want a fair go. We had a proposal to do just that, but which has now been stonewalled by this Government. We can only hope this incredibly obstinate attitude will change”.

A Department of State Growth spokeswoman said it had “engaged extensively with the landowners on this matter over a considerable period of time”.

“The Development Application for the revised design of the Hobart Airport Interchange provides an upgraded access for the landowners and was approved by the Clarence City Council in early July.

“Ground preparation works and clearing are occurring on site under the current approval.

“The Hobart Airport Interchange is a significant infrastructure project for the state of Tasmania. The project remains on track for completion in mid-2022.”

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