Win-win in uni parking plan

THE Launceston Show Society will be debt free when it hands over the lease of its Inveresk site to the University of Tasmania.

City of Launceston Council yesterday voted through a motion to allow the uni to pay the show society $1.3 million to take over the lease and develop the space into a car park.

Council will retain ownership of the land and the Royal National Agricultural and Pastoral Society of Tasmania will be required to repay its more than $150,000 debt to council.

UTAS will cop the cost of the $4.5 million car park development. The split of maintenance and operational costs is yet to be decided.

The parking plan will deliver 852 new car spaces to the Inveresk precinct for public and student use, which Councillor Hugh McKenzie said takes the parking argument off the table in regard to council and University Inveresk Precinct development plans.

The proposed car park combined with parking opportunities in the middle of the precinct and south of the North Esk River will provide more than 1100 car spaces.

Pro Vice-Chancellor (Launceston) Professor Dom Geraghty called the parking plan a step forward in the university’s Northern Transformation Program, ensuring the current 527space public parking demand in the precinct will be met.

“We think this is a strong proposal that provides a good outcome for the university, the City of Launceston and the show society,” Professor Geraghty said.

Executive director of the UTAS Northern Campus Transformation said the car park would become a valuable community asset.

Show Society CEO Brian Bennett said the deal was a win-win for all stakeholders.

“It will keep us in a financially stable position,” he said.

Launceston Chamber of Commerce CEO Neil Grose said the move was “very sensible planning” and allowed the show society to develop a “new future”.

“We do see this as a really strong signal to the North that the Northern Transformation is continuing as normal,” he said.

Hawthorn Football Club Tasmania state manager David Cox spoke in support of the motion as a “co-tenant that shares the space with the university and the community”. He said the parking strategy would make it easier for spectators to attend events.

The development is expected to begin after this year’s show.