Our Work
PMAT works across a full range of planning issues that shape Lutruwita/Tasmania’s communities and environment — from protecting our coasts, national parks, healthy landscapes and Aboriginal heritage, to housing, residential standards, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and good governance, including transparency and democracy.
Tasmanian State Coastal Policy
Tasmania's coastlines are under threat. PMAT is fighting proposed legislation that would fast-track weakening of the State Coastal Policy, stripping back protections for our coasts and the communities, ecosystems and cultural heritage that depend on them.
State of The Environment Reporting
Tasmania's natural environment is under serious pressure, as documented in the long-overdue 2024 State of Environment Report. PMAT is pushing for the Tasmanian Government to meet its legal obligation to report every five years and be held accountable for the state of our environment.
Development Assessment Panels (DAPs)
PMAT is fighting proposed legislation that would fast-track developments across public and private land, including Tasmania's National Parks, Reserves and World Heritage Areas, while removing third-party appeal rights and sidelining communities and Local Councils from planning decisions.
National Parks & Reserves
PMAT is working to strengthen protections for Tasmania's National Parks, Reserves and World Heritage Areas, which cover almost 50% of the state, ensuring developments are properly assessed and communities retain the right to comment and appeal to ensure protection of natural and cultural values.
Healthy Landscapes
Tasmania's planning scheme is failing to protect the natural values it was designed to safeguard. PMAT is campaigning for stronger protections for significant landscapes, biodiversity and scenic values on private land, including meaningful reform of the Landscape Conservation Zone, the Natural Assets Code and the Scenic Protection Code.
Aboriginal Heritage
Tasmania's planning scheme fails to protect Aboriginal heritage and Cultural Landscapes, with no requirement to consider impacts on Aboriginal cultural heritage values and no right of appeal. PMAT is campaigning for meaningful protections, including a dedicated Aboriginal Heritage Code.
Community Guides
PMAT produces free community guides to help Tasmanians engage with planning and Local Government processes and have their say on decisions that affect their communities, landscapes and natural environment.
Housing & Planning
Tasmania faces a critical need for housing, especially social and affordable housing. PMAT believes good planning and transparent decision-making can deliver both more housing and better housing, designed sustainably and with genuine amenity for communities. The planning scheme can and should make this possible.
Keeping Local Councils Local
PMAT believes local councils should make planning decisions for local communities. We oppose State Government moves to centralise planning power, bypass Local Councils and force amalgamations that would weaken environmental and community protections across Tasmania.
State Elections
Democracy cannot function without communication. If voters are to make informed choices among candidates, they must have the opportunity to learn about candidates’ policy positions. During the last two State Elections PMAT surveyed candidates to ask their position on planning.
Local Government Elections
Democracy cannot function without communication. In order for voters to make informed choices among candidates, voters must learn about candidates’ policy positions. During the last two Local Government elections PMAT surveyed candidates to ask their position on planning.
Tasmanian Planning Scheme
Since founding in 2016, PMAT has been advocating for Tasmania's planning scheme to prioritise protection of the natural environment, including freshwater, marine, terrestrial and coastal values, alongside community health and wellbeing, housing, Aboriginal cultural heritage, climate change and the public's right to have a say in decisions that shape their communities and landscapes.
Regional Land Use Strategies
Regional Land Use Strategies play a critical role in preventing inappropriate development across Tasmania. PMAT is advocating for strategies developed through independent, rigorous processes and for the finalisation of State Planning Policies the Tasmanian Government has repeatedly failed to deliver.
Future of Mac Point
Macquarie Point is 9.3 hectares of public land on Hobart's historic foreshore — a once-in-a-generation opportunity for urban renewal. PMAT has no position on whether a stadium should be built there, but is deeply concerned by the Tasmanian Government's ad hoc and chaotic approach to planning this strategically important site.
PMAT x PlaceScore Liveability Census
PMAT partnered with Place Score on the 2025 survey to ensure Tasmanians' voices shaped local planning conversations. Community feedback on what matters most — and what needs to change — now serves as a key data source for planners, decision makers, and PMAT alike.
Support Us
Make a donation to Planning Matters Alliance Tasmania. Good planning protects our communities, democracy, cultural heritage and natural environment. Without it, the people and places that make lutruwita/Tasmania special are at risk. PMAT is the only organisation solely focused on advocating for better planning — and we rely entirely on people like you to keep that fight going.
Stay informed. Protect what matters.
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