FUTURE VIEWS Six weeks to decide city’s fate

HOBARTIANS will have six weeks to have their say on the future of the city’s skyline and just how high they want buildings to go.

But first the Hobart City Council will help the public digest urban de- sign consultant Leigh Woolley’s 107page building heights report by providing a more succinct “plain English synopsis” of the plan.

The decisions were made at a council meeting last night, where Lord Mayor Ron Christie labelled it “a historical moment in Hobart”.

The six-week period means the final decision will now be made by the post-election council.

HOBARTIANS will have six weeks to have their say on the future of the city’s skyline and just how high they want buildings to go.

The Hobart City Council will help the public digest urban design consultant Leigh Woolley’s council-commissioned, 107-page building heights report plus all the council officers’ recommendations with a more succinct “plain English synopsis” of the plan.

The public consultation period has been extended from four weeks to six weeks, and will now include more than one public meeting, meaning the decision on the report will be one of the first acts of the newly formed council after the October 30 local government elections.

The report proposes different, non-discretionary, heightlimit zones across Hobart, ranging from 15m to 60m in the heart of the CBD.

At a council meeting last night, all Hobart aldermen supported the recommendations to release the report and suggested planning scheme amendments to the public for consultation except Alderman Tanya Denison, who argued the height limits were not needed.

“Any claim in this room that this process is for the benefit of developers is an absolute farce,” she told aldermen.

“If the elected representatives can’t be trusted to assess developments upon the discretion then maybe there is no role for us in planning at all — maybe we shouldn’t be the planning authority.”

Alderman Marti Zucco did not attend the meeting.

Alderman Helen Burnet put forward an amendment, which was rejected, for the maximum heights to be reduced in several zones to 45m because she felt the council officers’ recommended 60m cap was “too great”.

“My concern is that the heights aren’t indicative of what the community wants,” she said.

But Hobart Lord Mayor Ron Christie said he could not support the amendment.

“This is a historical moment in Hobart and it’s now time for the people to have their say,” he said.

“Let us listen to the community first, hear what they have to say.”

If the limits are approved, the Royal Hobart Hospital’s K Block would remain the city’s tallest building at 68.5m.

Any development applications already before council will not be retrospectively subjected to any planning scheme amendments.

A public forum is scheduled for Thursday, September 13 at an yet-to-be-determined location.