THE PLAN FOR A BIGGER CAPITAL CITY

TODAY’S release of the 30-year Greater Hobart Plan provides a valuable insight into what the state’s capital looks like now and what it is likely to grow into over the next three decades. It recognises why Hobart is such an attractive and liveable city but points to the challenges ahead if we are to keep it that way.

It tries to identify the pressure points now and in the years ahead, and to set some priorities on what needs to be done to cater for a growing population and the community’s changing needs and age profile.

It is an important document and readers are encouraged to study the plan and to add their voice to the discussions.

In large part the plan focuses on two key needs vital to any city: housing and transportation.

A snapshot of greater Hobart shows there are 200,570 people living here, a little over a third of the state’s population. About half are of working age, about 76,000 are aged 50 or over and a little under 50,000 are families with children. Most drive to work (62.6 per cent), only 6.4 per cent catch the bus and 8.6 per cent use active transport options (such as walking or cycling).

The plan predicts about 30 per cent population growth by 2050 with the need for 30,000 more homes. This clearly presents some challenges, but the plan proposes some key fixes to increase the availability of housing and to ease traffic.

Each of Hobart’s four major councils has identified where it could provide more homes with a large emphasis on more infill housing, the conversion of business-zoned land into housing options (think warehouse-type developments) as well as some lower-density greenfield subdivisions where the land is available.

Hobart, with its lack of vacant land, would primarily be infill within the CBD. Clarence is also mainly infill plus greenfield, such as that proposed for Doughty Point. Likewise Kingborough proposes more CBD infill plus some greenfield development at sites such as Huntingfield, while Glenorchy has infill plus some subdivisions at places like Austins Ferry and Granton.

Infill housing has a number of advantages – it can make smaller homes, closer to services to accommodate downsizing retirees, first-home couples and students, and the costs of infrastructure are lower because roads, sewers and power are in place. However, it also presumes a better public transport system and more active transport options, because adding cars to every infill home can clog cities with traffic.

For this to work, more Hobartians will need to use public transport. An expanded ferry service is a key and the northern transit corridor must be a priority.

At the moment, greater Hobart councils spend a piddling amount on cycling infrastructure. If they want to encourage more bike and scooter use, they have to build paths and lanes separated from vehicles to encourage it.

The 30-year Greater Hobart Plan is a good starting point which identifies challenges and suggests ways forward. It has a lot of good ideas but all that means nothing unless those ideas are translated into action.