A draft legislative proposal, released last week, would enable the Minister to decide if a planning scheme amendment should be initiated – like the highly contentious Cambria Green amendment – and not be the responsibility of local councils as is currently the case.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff’s new commitment that no councils in Tasmania will be forced to amalgamate with their neighbours is a welcome development in a Local Government Review process that has stoked community concern and a widespread campaign to protect the integrity of local government representation and planning decision making.
PMAT Media Release: Government Commitment on Council Mergers a Welcome Relief Read More »
The Rockliff government’s surprise decision to create legislation that gives developers the option to bypass local councils as the decision maker on planning applications represents a weakening of planning rules and sidelining of the democratic process.
PMAT Media Release: Removing Democracy and Communities from Planning Decisions Read More »
Planning Matters Alliance are continuing the rollout of public community meetings to discuss mooted changes to local government, including forced amalgamations and the removal of planning from local Councils.
PMAT Media Release: Local Government Reform for Discussion in Northwest Tasmania Read More »
Two well-attended PMAT community meetings in the Central Highlands municipality have resulted in the first plans to resist the State Government’s council amalgamation plans. Meetings at Ouse and Bothwell this week decided to petition state parliament against the move and called on the local council to conduct further community meetings.
Residents Unite in Push Against Amalgamation Read More »
Planning Matters Alliance Tasmania and the Tasmanian Conservation Trust today called on the state government to respond to the recent Council submissions to the Future of Local Government Review and rule out forced amalgamations and major changes to planning.
PMAT is deeply concerned about the likely Review Board recommendations to remove planning powers from local councils, force council amalgamations and mandate the sharing of Council’s core services.
Published as a double page spread in The Mercury, Talking Point: Changes to Council Requires Care, 16 February 2023.
Talking Point: Changes to Councils Require Care Read More »
PMAT today called for a three-month extension to the Tasmanian Government’s consultation process over reforms to Local Government, citing the scale of changes (forced amalgamations and removing planning decisions from local councils) and the style of consultation as key reasons for the community to have more time.
PMAT will today host a public meeting to discuss the development of Macquarie Point and the future of the agreed Master Development Plan for the site, developed and published with community consultation in advance of the Premier’s proclamation that the site should instead be used to develop an AFL-grade sports stadium.
Media Alert: Mac Point’s Future – public meeting today Read More »
