Cassy O'Connor MP | Greens Leader and Parks spokesperson
The approval of plans to privatise the Rosny Hill Recreation Area is a slap in the face to the local community.
From the outset, the Liberal Government, proponents and senior members of Clarence City Council have ignored the community – the actual owners of Rosny Hill.
This approval is the latest in the Liberals’ agenda to turn Tasmania’s protected areas and public lands into a cash cow for developers. Rosny Hill is owned by all Tasmanians, and it should remain that way.
It’s clear from the more than 500 objections to the proposal, it isn’t what a significant percentage of Eastern Shore residents want in their backyard. The community wants sensitive developments that benefit residents and enhance nature and streetscapes, rather than diminish them.
The Rosny Hill development bears all the same hallmarks as the Expressions of Interest process for development in public protected areas. It stinks of the same Liberal secrecy and facilitation for developers.
The Rosny Hill Nature Recreation Area was transferred to Clarence City Council by then Premier Jim Bacon in 2003, with the explicit direction that any uses must be “... consistent with the conservation of the nature recreation area’s natural and cultural values”. That, along with the community voice, was clearly ignored by the majority of Clarence City Councillors last night.
The Tasmanian Greens stand by Eastern Shore residents who love Rosny Hill and who don’t want their public nature reserve gifted to developers for private profit.