Pressure builds for action at Mac Point

PRESSURE is ramping up on the State Government to produce more action at Macquarie Point than a carpark extension.

The Opposition and Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief Luke Martin have slammed the Government’s five years of lack of progress in developing the prime waterfront site.

It comes after the Mercury revealed the Macquarie Point Development Corporation had lodged an application to extend its carpark as it awaits a decision on planning scheme amendments.

Labor Roads and Infrastructure spokesman David O’Byrne yesterday called for the Government to publicly release the site’s master plan.

But State Growth Minister Michael Ferguson said the master plan had been released for public comment in April this year.

“Nearly 900 pages of supporting technical information was also released to the public and amendments are now with the Tasmanian Plann i n g Commission awaiting final approval,” he said.

Mr Ferguson said Mr O’Byrne was “desperate … for a little bit of attention” and the Government wanted to make sure it got the development right.

Mr O’Byrne said: “Tasmanians deserve to see the Macquarie Point Master Plan but instead all we have are the Government’s grand plans for Hobart’s prettiest car park,” he said.

“After 5½ years the State Government stands condemned for a lack of activity.

“We’re now onto the third minister for Macquarie Point and we’ve had zero development.”

Mr O’Byrne said since the Federal Labor government provided $50 million in 2012 for the development of the site all that had occurred was a few pop up businesses and a carpark extension.

Labor was in government in Tasmania until 2014, during which time Mr O’Byrne said they worked with Toll and TasRail to relocate them to the Brighton Transport Hub.

Mr Martin said patience was “running thin” after almost eight years.

“Surely by now we should be hearing progress.

“We were told to expect something significant to come out of the [Hobart] City Deal about the Antarctic precinct that would activate the site. Is it time to ‘reset the reset’?”