Plan to carve up ‘surplus’ school bushland for houses

A HOBART school would have 1.24ha of its “surplus” land subdivided into 19 residential lots under a proposal currently before the planning commission, but concerns have been raised about wildlife impacts from the clearing of remnant “priority vegetation”.

Hilliard Christian School, at 32 Cheviot Rd, West Moonah, boasts on its website about its “beautiful bushland setting” but, should the subdivision by proponent Terry Cousens be approved, the school will be hemmed in on most sides by houses.

The land adjoining the school, owned by a company associated with Adventist Schools Australia, is “surplus to the needs of the school both now and into the future,” a report, by Van Diemen Consulting, into the proposal said.

Future development was always anticipated at the school, which has capacity for 300 students, the report said.

“In the mid-1990s land that was surplus to the then requirement of the school was rezoned and subdivided into residential allotments, giving rise to the existing residential area at Ransley Crt.

While the report concluded the land was “well suited to a General Residential use” – it is currently zoned Community Purpose – it is also an “island site” containing nearly 1ha of “priority vegetation,” some of the last in the immediate area.

Glenorchy Council told Mr Cousens he would need to have prepared a Wildlife Welfare Plan, “given the potential for wildlife to be trapped on the site during clearing, or potentially run on to the surrounding road,” according to a report by a council planner filed with the planning commission. However, there was some pushback from Mr Cousen’s consultant, the planner’s report noted.

“(Mr Cousens’) consultant indicated that, as an ecologist, they felt the wildlife plan was unnecessary,” it said.

The planner’s report said council stood firm.

The proposal is currently before the Tasmanian Planning Commission.