Rosalie Woodruff MP | Greens Planning spokesperson and Member for Franklin
We congratulate the Clarence City Council for voting against the construction of a 67 metre private jetty on Crown Land at Ralphs Bay. This was overwhelmingly the right decision for the community, and for the natural values of the Bay.
At the same Council meeting, councillors defeated a motion to extend the time allowed for Shandong Chambroad petrochemicals to commence construction on its beleaguered and deeply unpopular Kangaroo Bay hotel.
Both Council decisions are due to the Clarence community’s advocacy. They are passionate protectors of their beautiful natural values and lifestyle against over-development.
The campaign by Save Ralph’s Bay Again, started just weeks ago, garnered over 2000 signatures to oppose the privatisation of the rocky foreshore for a jetty. Kangaroo Bay Voice has been actively campaigning for four years against a hotel development that has overwhelmed the height limits and public open space approved by the Tasmanian Planning Commission’s Kangaroo Bay Masterplan.
The Minister responsible for both Planning and Crown Land, Roger Jaensch, is nowhere to be seen on these controversial developments. Minister Jaensch should have refused to give consent for the Ralph’s Bay jetty proposal to be lodged with Council in the first instance.
Instead, the Government handballs the hard decisions to local councils, to attempt to assess whether a development is appropriate for public land, or if it provides any public benefit at all.
Councillors being forced to vote against planning recommendations show just how seriously the Liberal-designed planning system is failing communities. They have to step in to support residents because the planning scheme includes no capacity to assess social licence or protect conservation values.
The Liberal Government is leaving communities on their own, to bear all potential legal costs in their defence of public land and environmentally-damaging proposals.
We congratulate the Eastern Shore communities for standing strong, together - and those councillors who supported them.