Clarence Plains population tipped to grow to more than 10,000 people within five years

An fast-growing community on Hobart’s Eastern Shore is forecast to reach a population of more than 10,000 within five years, and now a master plan will ensure the area can cope. DETAILS >>

A BUSTLING community on Hobart’s Eastern Shore continues to develop rapidly as one of the fastest growing areas in southern Tasmania.

The population of Clarence Plains — made up of the suburbs of Rokeby, Clarendon Vale, Oakdowns and Glebe Hill — is predicted to swell to in excess of 10,000 within five years.

And now a master plan for the booming area is underway, which is aimed at ensuring Clarence Plains can cope with the growth.

Expanding housing stock, community development, public open spaces, connectivity and infrastructure are some of the key objectives of the plan.

The ever-growing Clarence Plains area, where the population is expected to grow to more than 10,000 people within five years.

It comes as a state and federal government-funded $55m project to upgrade Rokeby Rd and South Arm Rd is expected to begin in coming years.

The Clarence City Council sad the master plan would build on a similar plan completed for Rokeby and Clarendon Vale in 2014 that was commissioned by Mission Australia.

Clarence Mayor Doug Chipman said Clarence Plains was experiencing a boom in development, with a “breathtaking” amount of subdivision underway.

“With Rokeby and Clarendon Vale growing, it’s become more urbanised, then Oakdowns started up as a suburb about 20 years ago, and now it’s filling up rapidly and marching north to join Clarendon Vale,” Ald Chipman said.

“A lot of the land between Clarendon Vale and Oakdowns has already been approved to subdivision, and along Pass Rd ... that’s now going ahead in leaps and bounds.”

Clarence City Council mayor Doug Chipman. Picture: Richard Jupe

Ald Chipman said the council wanted to ensure development did not happen in a “piecemeal” way and that there were solid plans about where community infrastructure would be.

“The big challenge is ensuring that the community amenity ... in terms of sporting facilities, recreational facilities and parks, are dovetailed in with the urban living areas, so that people feel as though it’s a lovely place to live,” he said.

“It’s really significant, for example, that there is a supermarket being built here [Coles at Glebe Hill], a McDonalds and all the other shops there that will help build that sense of identity.”

Community consultation has started with community groups, state government bodies, education providers and land care groups, with public engagement to begin later this year.

“Through this engagement process we want to understand the local community’s hopes and aspirations for the area, as this will form the foundation of the master plan,” Ald Chipman said.

“The key to successful planning is to focus on directing growth rather than simply reacting to it.

“It’s important that we recognise that we are not just making plans for the current day, but rather putting into place plans that will serve future generations.”

Public consultation on the master plan will be launched on the council’s website and on Facebook later this year.

Green spaces, safer streets high on list

A MASTER plan for Clarence Plains is the perfect way to rejuvenate the area and safeguard its future growth, a prominent community group says.

One Community Together was formed in 2014 as a collective of residents, groups, local services and organisations within the area.

It has seen the area continue to grow, to the point where its population is projected to surpass 10,000 in coming years.

One Community Together project officer Kathryn Cranny encouraged the community to have their say, highlighting some key focuses from the group’s work to date.

“Improving community safety is regularly rated as a high community priority, along with better lighting and footpaths, improved amenities in public spaces and traffic calming measures,” she said.

“The Clarence Plains area has been identified as one of the fastest-growing areas in southern Tasmania so there is a pressing need to support the region’s rapid growth by planning for a liveable and resilient community.”

Miss Cranny said the group’s community spaces team had been working on improving the physical environment in Clarence Plains, but much of the infrastructure remained untouched since it was built.

One Community Together project officer Kathryn Cranny, left, and One Community Together member and local resident of 21 years Linda Nicholson. Picture: Mireille Merlet

But she said a long-term plan for the area would help improve the health of the community by creating better connections for walking and cycling, greener spaces, safer streets and improved infrastructure.

Proud Clarence Plains resident Linda Nicholson has been living in the area for more than 20 years.

“There are already existing master plans in the Clarence Plains area, as well as the projects that One Community Together work on so it would be wonderful to see all these plans bought together under one overarching plan,” she said.

“So we can make sure that we all work together to see a community with more attractive public spaces and street scaping, better connectivity within all the suburbs that neighbour each other, safer pedestrian and cycling access and to see communities’ needs met when it comes to their education, health, recreational needs, along with improved services, facilities and amenities.”

BY THE NUMBERS

· In the year to 2020 Tasmania had an estimated 1.2 per cent increase in resident population. In comparison, in the year to 2020, Clarence had an estimated 1.6 per cent increase in resident population. (ABS Data).

· Clarence City Council approved 916 applications over the 2020-21 financial year, a 27.4 per cent increase on 2019-20.

· Tasmania’s population growth outstripped the state government’s growth strategy by almost 10,000 people last year, with the Clarence Plains area identified as one of the fastest-growing areas in Southern Tasmania.

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