Hobart City Council: Assessing Macquarie Point Precinct Plan difficult with glaring lack of detail

Hobart City Council has lodged its submission on the proposed Macquarie Point Precinct Plan, with Mayor Anna Reynolds dead against a particular aspect of the proposal.

Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds at Town Hall. Picture: Chris Kidd

The lack of detail in the Macquarie Point precinct plan makes it difficult to predict to impact it will have on the Hobart waterfront, the Hobart City Council says.

On Monday the council signed off on its submission about the plan, which it will submit to the Macquarie Point Development Corporation.

“The lack of detail throughout makes it difficult to assess future potential impacts of development envisaged by this plan on the wider area,” the council said in its submission.

“For instance, there are no sections provided so the challenge of how the proposed development interfaces with the Cenotaph head land is unclear and under-represented in the plan.”

On Monday, deputy lord mayor Helen Burnet said the submission raised a number of concerns about plans surrounding the stadium.

“It brings up a lot of concerns that aren’t really covered in the draft precinct plan, things like heritage, links back to the city, active and public transport,” Ms Burnet said.

“There’s a number of things that … haven’t been well considered, things like Aboriginal consultation, to plan the Aboriginal cultural zone.

An artist's impression supplied by the state government showing the visual impact of the proposed Macquarie Point stadium when looking across the Hobart waterfront towards Hunter St

“The suggestion in our submission that a truth and reconciliation park should be a fundamental part of the project.”

The council said plans for an access road, to take pressure off Evans Street, would need to be carefully designed to be pedestrian and cyclist friendly.

Hobart Lord mayor Anna Reynolds said she did not support the northern access road.

Roulettes flypast at the Hobart Cenotaph. Picture: Chris Kidd

“I think it’s a ridiculous suggestion and a terrible use of coastal land,” Ms Reynolds said.

“I think that’s a really poor outcome for Hobart that one of our most beautiful potential vistas of the river and connection of the river is going to have a new road right across the waterfront, something cities used to do in the 70s and 80s… increasingly it’s seen as a mistake.

“I would have preferred a stronger statement the council doesn’t support the road.”

Ms Reynolds said details on an arts precinct were not clear.

“The submission does raise clear concerns about … the arts precinct element is lacking,” she said.