Urban sprawl splits council

Debate rages over planning push

HOBART City Council should not be “micromanaging” planning decisions in neighbouring councils, says Alderman Jeff Briscoe.

He was speaking in response to an officer’s recommendation that the council not support Brighton Council’s proposal to alter its urban growth area.

The loss of a significant parcel of land earmarked for future housing, which was compulsorily acquired by the state government for a new high school, triggered the debate about the best plan for future growth.

Land acquired in Brighton by the Education Department was had been by the Brighton Council as future residential development land that would be required to meet residential growth forecasts.

Brighton Council has asked all 12 southern councils to back a proposal to extend the urban growth boundary for an 11ha block at 69 Brighton Road because it said the supply of residential land had been displaced by the government acquiring the new school land.

At the Hobart City Council meeting on Monday, it was recommended council not support Brighton’s proposal.

“There is a cost for that extension, particularly on the urban fringe, with the need to expand physical and social services and the impact on vehicle congestion. While Brighton Council has made a case for the change it is these costs that have not been fully accounted for,” the HCC report said.

Ald Briscoe pointed out Hobart City Council had expanded its urban boundary and Brighton Council had not rejected it. “There is a lot of pressure in Brighton and generally Brighton prices lot lower than Hobart and land is a lot cheaper,” he said.

“We should have no opinion on this and I’m foreshadowing a motion that we do not comment about Brighton’s proposal to extend their urban growth boundary.”

But Councillor Bill Harvey said Hobart would feel the impact of urban sprawl and the council should have input.

“Without adequate infrastructure in other places on the fringe it is just exacerbating the problems in Hobart.”

Deputy mayor Helen Burnet stressed the issue had been exacerbated by the government’s failure to ensure there were consistent reviews of the Southern Regional Land Use Strategy. She said the council should approach the government to fast-track a review.

The council was unable to reach consensus on whether it should support the proposal or not, but voted to ask the state government to fast track a review of the Southern Tasmanian Regional Land Use Strategy.