Rosalie Woodruff MP | Greens Planning spokesperson
The Planning Minister’s announcement he plans to extend 12 sections of Hobart’s Urban Growth Boundary looks set to hand precious ridgelines and conservation land to developers.
It’s a recipe to fast-track prime land protected for its natural and aesthetic values. This golden pen, ad-hoc approach goes against sensible urban planning, and shuts community out.
In typical fashion, Minister Ferguson is arrogantly reacting to the local community successfully protecting their precious and diminishing natural reserves against unnecessary development.
Locals’ spirited defence of kunanyi from a white elephant cable car, Rosny Hill Nature Reserve against a massive conference centre, and now Droughty Point’s conservation values have motivated Minister Ferguson’s zeal. Now he’s planning to abuse his powers and break strategic planning processes.
Using homelessness and housing insecurity as an excuse for Minister Ferguson’s dictatorial approach is simply an attempt to spin this prime land fast-track handover as a solution to the housing crisis. That’s untrue.
The Liberals have had eight years to build homes, and have instead overseen the ballooning of the public housing waiting list. They stubbornly refuse to regulate short stay accommodation and implement an empty homes levy – reforms that would make real change, right now.
Instead of using his powers to regulate AirBnB and short stay like councils are pleading with him to do, Minister Ferguson is undermining their decisions and dishonestly going after protected land.