Download the Media Release PDF version here.

The Planning Matters Alliance Tasmania (PMAT), a coalition of almost 70 groups engaged in issues affected by planning laws in Tasmania, is encouraging people to actively contribute to Government reform of the planning rules by 29 July 2022. These planning rules affect every inch of Tasmania.

The Tasmanian Government is currently consulting over the scope of issues to be considered in the statutory review of Tasmania’s State Planning Provisions (SPPs). PMAT is focusing on key aspects that are crucial for our well-being and that of Tasmania, including:

• Ensuring community rights to have a say

• Biodiversity protection and healthy landscapes

• Developments in national parks

• Planning in our towns and cities and looking after our historic buildings.

“Planning is complex, detailed and dry, until it affects you, your neighborhood or favorite park when it becomes critical” said Sophie Underwood, State Coordinator of PMAT. “This review is a chance for people to highlight what is important to them and the rules and framework required to protect those values”

“Tasmania needs a planning system that is not driven by development-at-all-costs approach. Improving the State Planning Provisions can help to put the very things that make Tasmania special, ahead of private development, including commercial developments that will impact on locals and visitors’ amenity and experiences.

In 2017, many recommendations from the Tasmanian Planning Commission were ignored in the Ministerial approval of the current State Planning Provisions, delivering provisions that are heavily slanted towards facilitating development, often overriding local communities.

This 5-year review gives Government a new opportunity to heed expert advice and is the best chance we have to improve the planning system until 2027.

“PMAT calls on the Tasmanian Government to commit to implementing the advice and recommendations of the Tasmanian Planning Commission and listen to the input from community consultations.

“New planning rules have too-often ignored expert and community advice in favor of vested interests.  Tasmanians want an outstanding planning system.  Government needs to restore balance and ensure the things we love about Tasmania are protected, otherwise we run the real risk of losing what makes Tasmania unique.”

State Planning Provisions Review

The Tasmanian Government is currently seeking input to help scope the issues for the five yearly review of the State Planning Provisions (i.e. the 23 planning zones (e.g. General Residential) and the 16 codes (e.g. Historic Local Heritage Code) in the Tasmanian Planning Scheme.

All the details of the review of the State Planning Provisions and how to make a representation can be found here.

Public consultation runs from 25 May 2022 to 12 August 2022.