Tasmanian Property Council, Master Builders Tasmania warn height limits threaten Hobart’s growth

Capping building heights in Hobart CBD could worsen the city’s housing affordability crisis, real estate and building interests have warned.

CAPPING building heights in Hobart CBD could worsen the city’s housing affordability crisis, real estate and building interests have warned.

The Tasmanian Property Council and Master Builders Tasmania also say limiting heights to 60 metres in the city will stall Hobart’s boom.

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“Hobart is currently going through an economic golden age and we should be looking for ways to capitalise on that prosperity, not cut ourselves off at the knees,” property council Tasmanian director Brian Wightman said.

The council’s city planning committee will decide tonight if it will recommend a 60m height limit in the inner city and lower caps through 10 height zones.

The property council and master builders body want the committee to defer consideration of proposed amendments, saying the process has been “rushed”.

Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds says height limits are an important tool in maintaining Hobart’s heritage character. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

Mr Wightman also wants the current draft of the council-commissioned building heights standards review by architect and urban design consultant Leigh Woolley, which allows buildings in the heart of the CBD to reach 60m (or 20 storeys), to be peer reviewed.

The city planning committee has been urged to reject two applications — one to redevelop Battery Point hotel Lenna and Fragrance Group’s plan to build two towers as part of a hotel and residential project in North Hobart.

The council has received 319 submissions on the Woolley report, 86 per cent supporting absolute height limits.

Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said the report had been out for public consultation for more than three months and she was surprised two professional bodies did not regard that as enough time

“The vast majority of the community is very supportive of Hobart retaining its heritage character and sensible scale,” she said.

Master Builders Association executive director Matthew Pollock says building height limits would cost jobs, hurt growth and may intensify Hobart’s affordable housing issues.

“It is perhaps our best economic strategy to retain this character and height limits are an important tool in achieving this,” Alderman Reynolds said.

“Height limits are very common tools in many economically thriving cities of the world and we know there is plenty of room for development throughout Hobart.”

But Master Builders executive director Matthew Pollock says a cap would cost jobs, hurt growth and may intensify Hobart’s affordable housing issues.

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“We’re at a stage now where a number of developers are looking to increase housing stock in Hobart, through urban infill developments in particular. If council adopts the proposed amendments some of these projects may not go ahead,” Mr Pollock said.

If the motion to initiate the amendments to the Hobart Interim Planning Scheme and the Sullivans Cove Planning Scheme succeeds, a 28-day public exhibition period will start after the Christmas holidays.