Dispute over number of submissions made to controversial Cambria Green development

A DISPUTE has erupted over the number of submissions made to the Glamorgan Spring Bay Council over the $100 million Cambria Green project.

Glamorgan Spring Bay Mayor Michael Kent supports the Cambria Green proposal. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

A DISPUTE has erupted over the number of submissions made to the Glamorgan Spring Bay Council over the $100 million Cambria Green project.

Submissions for the Cambria Green Specific Area Plan closed on June 14 after the council approved a request to change the planning scheme for the development.

A group formed after the council’s decision, called East Coast Alliance, says it submitted via its website 421 individual submissions to the Glamorgan Spring Bay Council.

Group president Anne Held said about 460 submissions had been made in total.

However, Glamorgan Spring Bay Mayor Michael Kent yesterday said he believed the total was about 200-250 and there was support for the proposal among the submissions.

“The bigger issue is that a lot of the representations have been done twice,” Councillor Kent said. “There would appear to be a lot of duplications.”

Map showing the 3185ha Cambria Green resort project site at Dolphin Sands. Picture: SUPPLIED

Ms Held said 46 per cent of the submissions made through the www.eastcoastalliance.com .au website used an identical custom letter provided to submitters but separate individuals signed the letter.

“People cut-and-pasted it and sent that custom letter to us which we submitted,” she said.

The development plan includes a 120-room luxury hotel, a golf course, 70 villas and 240 units, an 80-unit health retreat, 80 apartments, a village, function and conference facilities, improvements to an existing airstrip and upgrades to the 1820s Cambria homestead near Swansea.

It has been put forward by Melbourne group Cambria Green Agriculture and Tourism Management, which represents international investors from China and Australia.

Cr Kent, who is in favour of the project, said he had received many phone calls from people against the project because of its links to China.

“I have received a number of calls that I perceive to be racist,” he said. “I will not accept any of that whatsoever.”

Cr Kent said the submission results would be made available in August or September.

“Council will then determine if there are issues there that we as councillors need to take into consideration before we send it off to the Tasmanian Planning Commission who have the final say,” he said.

[e-mail]