Seven steps to heaven

IT would appear from the process associated with development of the Freycinet Peninsula Draft Management Plan that the Hodgman Government has refined a template to effectively negate the problematic issues that can be associated with transparency in governance, as well as silence those opposed to their agenda and have the temerity to speak out.

Step one is to nominate a government agency to lead the process. They are bound by the State Service Act to do what they are told. For good measure add State Growth to Parks and you have two agencies following your instructions.

Step two is to employ a consultant to engage in “community consultation”.

Step three is to establish a steering committee comprised of public servants from Parks and State Growth complemented by local government and commercial and tourism representatives. Keep that nomination process covert and ensure there are no community and environmental representatives.

Step four is to ignore all community recommendations so clearly and strongly articulated in step two.

Step five is to release a draft of the plan that has dramatic implications for the lifestyle and social amenity of the community and include all elements they categorically opposed — helicopters, cruise ships, RV parks, ferries, cheap hotels etc.

Step six is to ignore the massive capital/ cost implications, confident in the knowledge that private enterprise will address those issues and then release a draft. Don’t consider capping visitation or basing decisions on data/research.

Step seven is to invite public comment and then have another public servant finalise a final document for ministerial ratification. This avoids the necessity of further consideration of those with the audacity to present an alternate view.

Premier Hodgman, this proposal has more implications for the lifestyle/social amenity of the locals and their township than it does Freycinet National Park. To this stage, the participation of the community has been denied and negated. Given your previous commitments to transparency in government, it is imperative the next draft is released for public scrutiny and comment and you personally ensure the democratic rights of Tasmanians are not trashed by a political agenda. has been horrendous, especially on school days when parents, students and buses also use this part of the road. There is no room in this highly built up block either, for any garden, such as enjoyed by surrounding neighbours.

I’m aware that ours is not the only suburb in Hobart degraded by greedy developers but residents of this city need to be aware that the character of Hobart’s suburbs is changing to the point where we will all wish to escape from this state.

Tasmanian government regulations no longer afford us amenity of living standards, in fact the opposite.