Protecting and Advocating for Tasmania's Future through Better Planning.

Planning Matters Alliance Tasmania is a growing network of over 70 diverse community groups from across lutruwita/Tasmania. Our Alliance members recognise land use planning impacts every inch of Tasmania. They are united in common concern over the current Tasmanian state planning laws and what they will mean for Tasmania’s future.

We hold that good planning is fundamental to supporting both people and nature to thrive and underpins a healthy democracy and how we respond to climate change. 

PMAT’s vision is for Tasmania to be a global leader in planning excellence. We believe best practice planning must embrace and respect all Tasmanians, enhance community well-being, health and prosperity, nourish and care for Tasmania’s outstanding natural values, recognise and enrich our cultural heritage and, through democratic and transparent processes, deliver sustainable, integrated development in harmony with the surrounding environment.

Take Action #SCRAPTHEDAP

#ScrapTheDAP & Maintain Planning Appeal Rights & Your Right of Say

In another step in a long line of anti-democratic measures introduced by the Government, it has proposed further anti-democratic changes to undermine Councils and communities right of say across all urban/private land and reserved/public land including our National Parks and World Heritage Areas by:
  • Proposing to introduce Development Assessment Panels (DAPs) which removes planning appeal rights
  • Removing/limiting planning appeal rights via changing the rules in our main land use planning legislation

Key update: The Government has released a draft DAP Bill with public comment closing 24 April 2025. PMAT will be releasing a submission guide shortly. More information on the Draft DAP Bill here.

Please take action now. This is critical. If DAPs are approved, it will be the end of local councils and communities having the power to improve or stop inappropriate developments. 

Take Action Now

#SCRAPTHEDAP Public Meetings

The community is about to have its voice taken away – and most people don’t even know. 

Community engagement is critical. We must stand together to #SCRAPTHEDAP and ensure that local councillors and the community keep their say on future developments in lutruwita/Tasmania.

Please attend one of these important public meetings. Add your voice to this critical issue that will impact the future of lutruwita/Tasmania.

Save Tasmania's Coasts

The Tasmanian Government  released a State Coastal Policy Position Paper for public comment to fast-track changes to Tasmania’s State Coastal Policy that closed Monday 21 October 2024. Note this was a separate process to the Validation (State Coastal Policy) Bill 2024 which passed the Parliament in October 2024 . You can view PMAT’s Submission on the State Coastal Policy Position Paper here. 

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Our Work

The Our Work section is a work in progress. New topics will be progressively added covering issues such as State of the Environment Reporting, the Tasmanian Planning Scheme, State Elections, climate change and mitigation, housing, residential standards and urban amenity, transparency and democracy, geodiversity, population, Regional Land Use Strategies, heritage buildings and landscapes. 

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Development Assessment Panels (DAPs)

The government has released draft legislation to empower the Planning Minister to remove assessment and approval of developments from the normal local council process and have it done by DAPs. This fast-track process removes local councillors and appeal rights from the community.
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Keeping Local Councils Local

PMAT supports keeping local councils local - looking after local planning decisions and services for local people with local jobs. PMAT does not support the State Government takeover of local councils or the bypassing of councils by property developers.
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National Parks & Reserves

Commercial tourism development, along with many other Permitted uses, can be approved in most national parks and reserves with no guarantee of public consultation and rights to appeal over public land on almost 50% of Tasmania.
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Housing & Planning

There is a critical need for housing - especially social and affordable housing – that is well-designed, sustainable and provides high levels of amenity for communities. The planning scheme can and should facilitate this.
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Healthy Landscapes

Landscape, biodiversity & scenic landscape protection.
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Community Guides

PMAT works to educate, raise awareness and inspire engagement in planning and Local Government issues and processes in Tasmania via the development of free community guides.
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Support Us

Make a donation to Planning Matters Alliance Tasmania. By supporting us you are ensuring that we can continue to advocate and protect Tasmania's future through better planning.
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Stay informed on what’s happening locally and statewide within Tasmania, and join our community in advocating to protect Tasmania’s future.

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