Public won’t have say in future

“IF the government was minded to step in and take control of that project, we would have done it by now,’’ said Planning Minister Roger Jaensch of the cable car project and its relationship to the new major projects process being pushed by his government. (August watershed for major projects, Mercury, June 12).

With an unscripted comment, Government’s true intent is exposed. The proposed fast-track Major Projects process is a developer’s dream, designed to cut community involvement in planning decisions about controversial proposals like the cable car, high rise hotels, Cambria Green and the Westbury Prison. It is unnecessary, unfair and undemocratic and will lead to bad development decisions.

It allows Government to ‘take control’ of development assessments, including project selection for major project status, selection of assessment panel members and creation of assessment guidelines and it abandons the opportunity for anyone opposed to appeal the merit of bad approval decisions.

As residents opposed to the cable car, we take little comfort in the Planning Minister’s commitment that the cable car proposal on kunanyi/Mt Wellington will not be nominated for a major projects assessment. His words do nothing to bind a future Government and the major projects process allows developments to be stripped part-way through a council planning assessment, or reassessed as a ‘major project’ even if previously refused by a council.

The proposed major projects process allows projects to be approved even if they contravene the local planning scheme or reserve management plan, explicitly listing the Wellington Park Management Plan numerous times.

The fast-track major projects process is tailor-made for projects like the cable car, projects that clearly contravene local planning rules or park management plans. Its eligibility criteria are so wide that almost any proposal — building, subdivision or bridge, could be deemed a ‘major project’ by the minister.

The Bridgewater Bridge example offered by the Minister as the ‘first cab off the rank’ is a red herring that highlights how unnecessary this fast-track process is. Tasmania already has assessment processes that can consider and approve a such a development.

Make no mistake, the major projects process is designed so Government can ‘take control’ and ram through the approval of controversial proposals like the cable car that would otherwise fail. It will put developer’s interests ahead of the community’s and sidelines the voice of the public in big decisions about the future of their state.

Vica Bayley Residents opposed to the cable car