State government intervenes to extend urban growth boundary for Skylands proposal at Droughty Point
It was knocked back in March, but the Skylands proposal could be back on the table after intervention from the Planning Minister. WHAT’S NEXT >>
Tasmania
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Tasmania’s Planning Minister has made good on his promise to intervene after the Skylands proposal on the Droughty Point Peninsula was rejected, clearing the main hurdle preventing the development from being approved.
Over the course of 40 years, up to 2500 homes would be built under the plan, stretching across 315ha of land.
It would include six separate neighbourhoods and incorporate a variety of different housing options, commercial spaces and 100ha of public park space and habitat reserve.
But in order to proceed with the plan, the developers sought approval to extend the urban growth boundary (UGB), which would unlock 58ha for the project – land which would be used for housing.
It was a request the Clarence Council denied in March, knocking back the masterplan with it, with some councillors taking issue with the developer’s push to extend the boundary.
Days after the decision, the state Planning Minister Michael Ferguson said the government would intervene to allow the masterplan to be assessed by the Tasmanian Planning Commission and to initiate a process to extend the urban growth boundary.
On Wednesday it was announced the extension had been granted.
“We want to provide housing proponents with an opportunity to have their proposals properly and independently assessed, rather than dismissed out-of-hand by the current boundary,” Mr Ferguson said.
“We are aware of proposals for new residential development that can’t even be considered because of the urban growth boundary.”
Greens planning spokeswoman Rosalie Woodruff said the move was concerning.
“We question the independence of Minister Ferguson’s ad hoc urban growth boundary extension at Droughty Point today, given he publicly sided with the proponent’s interests after the Clarence City Council voted to reject the expanded development option,” Ms Woodruff said.
Clarence Council mayor Brendan Blomeley said the council was working on understanding the detail of the change.
“Council has a clear position on this, we’ll need to consider what today’s announcement means for the future,” Mr Blomeley said.
“We are clearly in the midst of a housing crisis and council wants to be part of the solution to this.
“But we need to do it in a strategic, considered way, not on an ad hoc basis that might create service problems for us in the future.
“Council has some work to do in preparing submissions to the Tasmanian Planning Commission.”
The Skylands Masterplan would need to be resubmitted for approval and land would also need to be rezoned by the Clarence Council.
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