PMAT concurs with the opinion piece, published in The Mercury on the 29 November 2023 entitled ‘New planning proposal removes independent review of decisions and risks, undermining confidence’, by Anja Hilkemeijer and Cleo Hansen-Lohrey lecturers in law at the University of Tasmania who teach constitutional law and administrative law respectively.
What is the real reason why the Minister for Planning Michael Ferguson, wants to create DAPs (Development Assessment Panels) to allow property developers to bypass local councils and communities and remove appeal rights?
The Tasmanian Liberal Government proposes legislation to empower the Minister for Planning to remove assessment and approval of developments from the normal local council process and have it done by Development Assessment Panels (DAPs) i.e. planning assessment panels.
PMAT Submission: Position Paper on a proposed Development Assessment Panel Framework Read More »
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.
PMAT released a community submission guide to help comment on DAPs on public/reserved land, including our World Heritage Areas, National Parks, Reserves and Crown Land – covering 50.4% of our State. Public Comment closed 29 March 2024.
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 »
Premier Hodgman often repeats his mantra that his government’s call for Expressions ofInterest (EoI) in tourism developments in Tasmania’s parks and reserves provides a rigorous and transparent process for their assessment (e.g. media release Backing in sustainable nature tourism, 19 March 2019). However, the reality is that rather than utilising a well-defined, rigorous and transparent process which guarantees public comment and appeal rights, it is taking advantage of an absence of such a process.
