Glenorchy council could use car park airspace to create more housing

A Tasmanian council could look at the car parks it owns to make way for more housing, in a solution the mayor says is “win-win”. Here’s how it could work.

Glenorchy mayor Sue Hickey.

The airspace of several car parks in Glenorchy could be used to build more housing in the region, the mayor says.

Glenorchy mayor Sue Hickey will move a motion at Monday’s council meeting for staff to look into which areas could be used, and to report back in December.

If the idea went ahead, it wouldn’t result in the loss of any car spaces because the ground floor of a given development would be specifically for parking.

“It seems a waste that it’s just a carpark,” she said.

“A lot of land remains in the hands of local councils that could have dual purpose.

“It would allow somebody, such as Homes Tasmania to be able to build without buying the land.”

The housing solution was one also suggested by Hobart City Council’s Bill Harvey, back in 2022.

At the time he said the council had successfully used the airspace of three council-owned carparks in the CBD, handing the sites over to different housing providers.

HCC Councillor Bill Harvey in front of affordable housing above a council owned car park on the corner of Liverpool and Barrack Street, Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

One is a 50 unit development on the corner of Liverpool and Bathurst Street, run by low income housing program, Common Ground.

There’s another on Goulburn Street which created 25 units, owned by Housing Tasmania, and on Elizabeth Street the council provided airspace for the University of Tasmania to create 430 rooms for student accommodation.

Ms Hickey said there were several car parks in the Glenorchy municipality which could similarly be used.

“Barry St’s got a few big car parks, it would be ideal for social or affordable units,” she said.

“We’d be able to facilitate without it costing us any money and there’d be no loss on parking for city shoppers.”

Glenorchy mayor Sue Hickey. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Ms Hickey said the stress of the housing crisis was felt across the region, and there was “solid” demand for affordable housing in Glenorchy.

“There’s not a lot of houses to rent or buy,” she said.

“We’ve got land but it’s already got a critical purpose, this is adding benefit. If it can get extra mileage, why wouldn’t you do it?”

She said social or public housing would be ideal.

“The best fit would be with Homes Tasmania, they’re desperate to build and it would save them buying land, and the city gets extra residents,” she said.

“We also wouldn’t be adverse if there was a private developer who wanted to look at the land.

“It also could provide accommodation for key workers in the city.”