Clarence City Council votes on contentious Kangaroo Bay development extension

A vote on the future of Kangaroo Bay and whether to give developers more time to begin works on a controversial $80M hotel and hospitality school has divided Clarence City Council. LATEST >>

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THE developers behind a controversial $80 million hotel and hospitality school at Kangaroo Bay have been denied another extension of time to get the project moving.

A Clarence City Council vote on a recommendation to allow Chinese developers Chambroad two more years to progress the project was tied and lost 6-6.

Council now has six months to consider the project’s future or pursue a buy back of the land.

One of the reasons council was advised to allow another extension was that the COVID-19 pandemic had presented challenges to Chambroad and the University of Tasmania.

During a debate that went late into Monday night, discussion covered the level of community opposition to the project and whether Council could legally refuse the extension.

Over 2200 people have signed a petition urging council to reject the extension and buy back the land for public use.

Artists impressions of the proposed development at Kangaroo Bay on Hobart's Eastern Shore.

Mayor Doug Chipman said granting the time extension was the most responsible course of action.

Ald Chipman said instigating a buy back now meant council risked legal action from the developer and could end up paying up to three times more than the value of the land – or over $6 million.

“Buy it back has certainly been a magnetic catchcry. How many people would have signed a petition saying buy it back no matter what the cost?” he said.

Alderman Wendy Kennedy said there was strong and well informed community opposition to the project.

“If we are not here to listen to our ratepayers I don’t know what we are here for … I can’t support a further extension. I’m not convinced the developers are going to do anything there,” Ald Kennedy said.

Kangaroo Bay, Bellerive. Picture: Leonie Howard

Alderman Luke Edmunds said the Chambroad proposal was unlikely to be delivered.

“A project with significant backing from multiple levels of government, approved in 2017, was stuck in the doldrums well before someone ate a bat in Wuhan,” he said.

Alderman Dean Ewington said the development was a much-needed boost for the Clarence economy,

Council has previously granted two other extensions of time to the developer.

Chambroad previously said its request for an extension was supported by the office of the Co-Ordinator-General, and UTAS which had signed a memorandum of understanding to run the hospitality training school.

Chambroad has advised that it received tenders in June 2020 from three short-listed Tasmanian construction firms and prepared an “early works” building application for lodgement,” the report said.