Housing row over Macquarie Point rethink

Hobart City Council has criticised the drastic reduction of residential accommodation allocated for the Mac Point redevelopment. One councillor reckons it will create less of a neighbourhood and more of a transient population.

HOBART City Council has criticised the drastic reduction of residential accommodation allocated for the Macquarie Point redevelopment.

Under the “bold reset vision” for the prime 9ha site, land allocated for residential housing as part of the first stage of the redevelopment has been slashed from 43,949sq m to 15,000sq m.

The new plan sees a substantial increase in floorspace for education and research uses.

The Macquarie Point Development Corporation is seeking to make amendments to the Sullivans Cove Planning Scheme to support the State Government’s vision for the site.

But Hobart Deputy Lord Mayor Helen Burnet says there is an opportunity for Mac Point to ease Hobart’s housing stress by building more residential accommodation.

“When we considered the proposed changes, the council requested the authority consider providing more than the meagre 15,000sq m maximum for residential accommodation.

“That request has been ignored by the authority, with no alteration of the reset master plan.”

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The sprawling Macquarie Point redevelopment site.

Instead there is more set aside for hotel accommodation at 20,000sq m which Cr Burnet says will create less of a neighbourhood and more of a transient population.

Cr Burnet said: “We’re in the middle of a housing shortage and there is a certain responsibility any development proposal has to address that in a meaningful way and not in a tokenistic way.”

A report presented to the council by All Urban Planning on behalf of the Macquarie Point Development Corporation, says a boost to 50,000sq m of residential land would not be in keeping with the State Government’s commitment of the Mona Vision.

Macquarie Point Corporation chief operations officer Greg Cooper said the proposed amendments reflect the shift to a more civic and cultural focus.

“While council has a recommendation to significantly increase the residential square metres, increasing the residential use to that amount would fetter the Mona Vision of an arts and cultural space that could accommodate significant events and cultural activities,” he said.

Public submissions for the amendments to the Sullivans Cove planning scheme can be made to the council until May 14.