Glenorchy City Council officers recommend Hobart Showground redevelopment for approval

The long-awaited redevelopment of a Tasmanian icon looks set to go ahead as Glenorchy City Council officers recommend a $50m makeover of the Royal Hobart Showground for approval.

Concept design of redeveloped Hobart Showground. Picture: BPSM Architects

The first stage of a $50m redevelopment of the Hobart Showground has been given the green light by Glenorchy City Council’s planners, with the owner of the site hoping to complete the majority of construction by early next year.

The revamped site would include a new pavilion, theatre, auditorium, oval, plaza, public bar, and cafe.

The state government has committed $42m to the project.

Concept design of redeveloped Hobart Showground. Picture: BPSM Architects

All existing buildings and structures currently on the 12.7ha Howard Rd site are being demolished.

The Showground has been owned and operated by the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania (RAST) since 1903 and is the traditional home of the iconic Royal Hobart Show.

The Glenorchy City Council’s Planning Authority will meet on January 28 to vote on the redevelopment plan, which council officers have recommended for approval with a hefty 44 conditions.

RAST CEO Scott Gadd said while he hadn’t yet seen the proposed conditions, he was “really pleased to finally get this far”.

“It has been a long, hard, and expensive road,” he said.

The Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania CEO Scott Gadd. Picture: Chris Kidd

“It’s definitely been frustrating. The game of ping pong [with the council] has just gone on way too long and didn’t really achieve anything.”

Mr Gadd said the redeveloped Showground would be of “huge value” to Glenorchy “on an economic, social, and community level”.

“It’s going to provide space. Hopefully we can get housing, but that’s another process we haven’t concluded yet,” he said.

“At the end of the day, we’ve got a multi-use facility that will be affordable, that anyone can use, and we’ll program a whole heap of stuff through here that will be to the benefit of the community and be a place to recreate, socialise, and hopefully live.”

RAST intends to seek a planning scheme amendment at a later date in order to provide 450 new homes on parts of the Showground, including social housing.

Concept design of redeveloped Hobart Showground. Arena facility. Picture: BPSM Architects

A report by the council said the proposal for stage one of the works satisfied the relevant performance criteria and complied with “applicable standards”.

However, officers have recommended the council impose numerous conditions on the development, including that external lighting only operate between 6am and 11pm, no more than 12 major events are held at the site per year, and noise and parking management plans are prepared.

A total of 16 offices and meeting rooms and 440 new parking spaces are proposed for the redeveloped Showground, as well as a reception, an exhibition and animal showing space, a motorhome park with 92 spaces, and an 11-room hostel.