Planner fears rezoned East Coast land sell-off

A TASMANIAN planning expert has raised concerns that the developers behind a $100 million resort proposal on Tasmania’s East Coast could sell off the land for a greater financial return once it is rezoned.

The Glamorgan Spring Bay council has approved a request to initiate a planning scheme change allowing 3185ha of land secured for the Cambria Green resort proposal to be rezoned.

The development will go out for public consultation next month and will then return to council to consider any changes, which the developer must approve.

It will then go to the Tasmanian Planning Commission for approval before a development application can be submitted to council.

The project includes a 120room luxury hotel, a golf course, 70 villas and 240 units, an 80-unit health retreat, 80 apartments, village, function and conference facilities improvement of an airstrip and an upgrade to the 182-year-old Cambria homestead.

University of Tasmania Human Geography and Planning Professor Jason Byrne said the development was more suited to Queensland than Tasmania and cited some risks once the land was rezoned.

“In Queensland-style developments it hasn’t been un- common for a fabulous development to get rezoned and the developers sell it off for a greater return,” he said.

“They have certainly done their due diligence with the plans but we have to remember that some developers do this so we have to be cautious that the way it’s been proposed is seen through.

“Just because it’s rezoned doesn’t mean they have to build it.”

However, Cambria Green Agriculture and Tourism Development chief executive Ronald Hu, who represents an international consortium of investors in the project, denied the notion.

“That is definitely not our intention to do land banking then sell, that’s why we did a three-year strategy,” he said.

Prof Byrne also said there could also be some concerns about delays, with developments having a history of stalling in Tasmania.