East Coast Cambria Green project back up for debate this week at Tasmanian Planning Commission

The controversial Cambria Green development is back on the agenda. Here’s what’s happening this week in the Tasmanian Planning Commission. >>>

A controversial, massive, Chinese-backed development proposed for 3185ha of land near the seaside town of Swansea will be back on the agenda this Thursday.

For the past four years, a large group of East Coast residents have battled against the Cambria Green proposal at Dolphin Sands, which would include a luxury hotel, 200 villas, a golf course, a conference centre, an upgraded airstrip, plus retirement facilities with a crematorium.

But the developer, represented by its Melbourne-based agent Ronald Hu, shows no sign of abandoning its $138m plans.

After winding its way through the Glamorgan Spring Bay Council, the Tasmanian Planning Commission and the Supreme Court of Tasmania, the proposal will this week return to the planning commission and is set to undergo weeks of hearings.

Cambria Green proponent Ronald Hu. Picture: Richard Jupe

The planning commission will consider a planning scheme amendment application by Cambria Green to rezone the land, which if approved, would make way for the lofty plans.

“At the moment, no-one really knows what they want to do,” Anne Held, president of the East Coast Alliance said.

“A lot of people on the street will say, oh that’s not going to happen. That’s a dangerous complacency.”

East Coast Alliance president Anne Held at Cambria Green.

The East Coast Alliance, which said it had 700 members, will be represented by environmental consultant ERA Planning and Environment at the hearings, along with a number of experts who will address issues including agriculture, environment and natural values, hydrology, heritage values, and provide an economic-tourism analysis.

Ms Held said the group was looking forward to the upcoming process.

“It was the process we wanted all the time. The Tasmanian Planning Commission is an independent commission that will make expert decisions outside the council’s remitting authority,” she said.

Aerial view of the proposed Cambria Green site. Image from the development application.

Ms Held said she believed the planning amendment application would be refused, but that if it succeeded, “the effect would be colossal”.

Attempts were made to reach Mr Hu for comment.

The hearings are expected to conclude in July.

In December 2020, Supreme Court judge Stephen Estcourt remitted Cambria Green’s application back to the Tasmanian Planning Commission, albeit with a differently-constituted panel, quashing its decision not to consider the case on the basis of a landowner consent issue.

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