Take care tampering with lifestyle

SOME years ago I stood for alderman at Hobart City Council and, while door knocking, I got most complaints about the HCC relating to approving extensions and decks etc which had a detrimental effect on people’s residential amenity. People’s privacy and lifestyle is very important to them, and to achieve this, they are often prepared to travel up to 45 minutes from their employment to places like South Arm, Clifton Beach, Cremorne, Kettering and Dodges Ferry, because they value the attributes of priv- acy, space, garden and hobby space etc.

It’s not enough to say “density is in, get used to it”. People have paid good money to be where they are and deserve the benefits of it, and don’t deserve to have the HCC or the new statewide planning scheme dilute the benefits of their location and the value of their property in the process. I am alarmed at how the provisions of the statewide planning scheme seek to reduce protection for urban, cultural and environmental heritage while also striping back community engagement in and development decisions.

My other concern for Hobart is our visitor experience. Tourism is such a vital part of Hobart’s economy, and it looks like the dilatory politicians are prepared to let the statewide planning scheme proceed without considering the consequences for a future Hobart and a future Tasmania. Very short-sighted indeed. planning