Give Cambria Green a fair go

Dolphin Sands ratepayers are concerned about the debate on the East Coast development, explains Robyn Moore

THE Dolphin Sands Ratepayers Association represents the community immediately adjacent to much of the proposed Cambria Green development.

While we would prefer to remain silent until the Glamorgan Spring Bay Council and Tasmanian Planning Commission have followed their respective processes regarding the Cambria Green planning scheme amendment, we are concerned that some antidevelopment groups are extremely active in publicising an inaccurate interpretation of the proposed development.

The Dolphins Sands Ratepayers Association committee feels compelled to inform the broader Tasmanian community of some of the inaccurate information being circulated.

We are up to speed with the entire Cambria Green proposal and are fully aware of the outrageous misinformation being spread by those who are seeking to stop this development at any cost.

Understandably, most ordinary Tasmanians just take it on trust that what they read in newspapers and see in television stories is true.

Firstly, we take issue with the oft-repeated line that the Cambria Green development is “massively scaled … high intensity …. the largest change to Tasmania’s landscape since colonisation”.

These slogans are backed by the Freycinet Action Network’s commissioned map (published in this newspaper), showing the proposed development overlaid over the city of Hobart.

In reality, the footprint of the development will be approximately 0.2 per cent of the land area.

Cambria Green’s planners have committed to this figure in a submission to the council and asked that it be added to the planning amendment.

The Dolphin Sands Ratepayers Association committee will be present at the Tasmanian Planning Commission hearings, in October and November, and will not be satisfied with anything less. We don’t expect that the commission will be either.

Is it reasonable to suggest that a building footprint of one-fifth of 1 per cent of the land area is massively scaled and/or high intensity? By any objective measure, these suggestions are laughable.

In the interests of fairness, it would be good if the Mercury re-published the Freycinet Action Network’s map highlighting the 0.2 per cent of the land area that represents the building footprint.

Secondly, antidevelopment groups continue to broadcast the idea that if the planning amendment is approved, it will create an area that is quarantined from further planning controls.

As anyone with even a basic understanding of planning regulations knows, this is untrue.

The planning amendment allows for itemised changes to specific existing regulations. Existing codes, zones and covenants that are not subject to the amendment will continue to operate.

The planners and developers held an open day at Cambria homestead as well as attending meetings organised by members of our community (members of antidevelopment groups were present at these meetings, so cannot claim to be unaware of them).

More importantly, in response to these meetings, the planners/developers have altered their submission to the council to address community concerns.

For example, they have precluded extracting water from the Dolphin Sands aquifer, increased setbacks from 5m (as per the current planning scheme) to 50m and added further restrictions of the existing airstrip regarding number and frequency of flights, flight paths, hours of operation, noise and types of aircraft.

The Dolphin Sands Ratepayers Association committee would like to acknowledge the willingness of the developers/planners to consult and negotiate to address community concerns.

We reject the open hostility of anti-development groups to any constructive dialogue.

We strongly reject the racist undertones to much of the opposition to the proposed development.

We are also dubious about conspiracy theories regarding

transparency and sweetheart deals.

When anti-development groups feel compelled to resort to falsehoods and racism to drum up support, it suggests there are insufficient concerns arising from the actual proposal to generate the level of community opposition they desire. Consequently, these groups have to fabricate reasons for their stance.

This is far from harmless. The hysteria and anti-Asian sentiment that are being stirred up is harmful to our community and broader Tasmanian society.

We are also concerned that the persistent misinformation campaign is undermining the democratic planning process.

Anti-development groups are consistently urging their members to pressure local councillors and MPs with their misinformation.

While people have the right to do this, it fails to respect that councillors are required to make planning decisions based on planning laws, not community pressure.

This pressure is also problematic given that council elections are due soon. Because members of these anti-development groups are standing for election, we expect them to respect council policies and processes.

We believe everyone deserves a fair go and the right to impartial consideration by planning authorities.

We are up to speed with the entire Cambria Green proposal and are fully aware of the outrageous misinformation being spread by those who are seeking to stop this development at any cost