LET’S ACT ON CITY LIVING

THE construction and real estate industries, like many other sectors, are subject to trends. One of the hottest in the city of Hobart has been a surge in the number of residential apartments being built in and around the CBD.

As revealed in the Sunday Tasmanian, it has been a big year for unit developments with 38 multi- unit applications approved, adding about 330 new inner- city homes.

Demographers have for years been calling for more medium- density housing to cater for Tasmania’s ageing population as many suburban homeowners seek to downsize and move closer to services within the city. There have also been calls to provide more affordable units within the city to help ease the housing crisis.

It appears the market is beginning to meet that demand. Or is it?

Most of the apartments being built are high- end properties with matching price tags and some say investors are snapping up properties as an investment in the shortstay accommodation industry driven by growing tourist numbers. Many are turning to property as a “safe bet” compared with the volatile stockmarket

But as 2020 has demonstrated, border closures caught many property owners out and many short- stay units were offered up on longer- term leases when the state was in lockdown.

There is clearly a demand for more inner- city living and with that in mind, the Hobart City Council and state government must work together to create an environment that meets the needs of more people living close to or within the state’s capital.

Most new units approved have limited or no car parking — the argument being that if you live in the city, you can walk most places. That makes sense but as Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds points out, there is a responsibility to cater for inner- city dwellers.

“We need to remember as we increase density in the city, we have to see corresponding investment in public infrastructure,” she said.

She points to the new mid- town revamp as an example of such an investment but more needs to be done.

Public transport also needs to be on the list and a light rail link between Hobart and the northern suburbs is a logical next step.

There also needs to be a clear vision of the type of city Hobart wants to be.

At the moment, there is a disconnect between the CBD and one of the jewels in the city’s crown — the waterfront.

There is no easy pedestrian link and residents and tourists have to brave two major arterial roads to reach the wharf area and Salamanca. Macquarie Point still sits idle and cycling and pedestrian infrastructure is patchy at best.

As unit development and sales show, residents are moving in. There’s no time to waste in improving the amenities in Hobart.