Thank you, placard holders and honkers, for helping us remind Walker Corporation that Ralphs Bay belongs to the people.
Join us next Friday morning. Read details here.
Download proforma letter (Word doc.) and send to David Bartlett or, better still, write your own.
Report from Hobart Airport - 15km NE of Ralphs Bay
Temperature: 6°C (43°F)
Save Ralphs Bay Inc.
Save Ralphs Bay Inc. (SRB) is a community action group with a strong regional support base. SRB was formed in March 2004 in response to the Walker Corporation's proposal to excavate the Ralphs Bay Conservation Area at Lauderdale and construct a canal style housing estate in the bay.
SRB's constitutional objectives are to oppose this and any other inappropriate developments at Ralphs Bay, to work towards enhanced protection of the natural, aesthetic and community values of Ralphs Bay and to promote an approach to coastal planning in Tasmania that will prevent future inappropriate developments in coastal areas.
SRB provides well researched information to appropriate bodies and maintains an open information base for supporters with up-to-date information on the progress of decision making regarding the proposal.
In support of its stated objectives, SRB has networked widely, researched many issues and maintained a strong public information campaign through media liaison, public information evenings with expert speakers, community expo days, rallies in City Hall, information stalls in the community and at the Coast to Coast Conference, newsletters, political lobbying at all governmental levels and preparation of numerous submissions.
SRB was the Community Groups Project winner for the 2005 Dr. Edward Hall Environment Awards and was inducted into the Hobart City Council Hall of Fame.
This web site holds information pertaining to Save Ralphs Bay Inc. activities since its inception in 2004. To locate information, check the Site Navigation menu above or scroll for chronological postings.
Dear Ralphies and supporters
It has been a two week rollercoaster ride for SRB Inc. in both Houses of State Parliament and, last Thursday, at Parliament House in Canberra.
The upshot of it is, we are bound for the RPDC and a Project of State Significance (PoSS) assessment, but WITH the Ralphs Bay Conservation Area as we know it, intact. Thanks to the concerted lobbying of Legislative Councillors - and the brave resistance of Labor MLCs, Lin Thorp, Allison Ritchie and Terry Martin - the Lennon Government did not succeed in removing the sandflats from the Conservation Area. That’s a huge plus. Now it will be up to the proponent to convince the RPDC, against all the weight of available science, that the 90 hectares Walker wants is of negligible conservation value. It’s going to be difficult for them, but we’ve also got to make sure by being super organised and effective in gathering together the evidence and experts for our case.
•READ MORE... •I have been asked to advise on a number of matters associated with the proposed Ralph’s Bay Area (Clarification) Bill 26 of 2006.
Download the PDF of the Kerr legal opinion here (109kb PDF)
•READ MORE... •RALPHS BAY CONSERVATION AREA
Legal Arguments in Brief
Background
On 4 July last year, then Environment Minister, Judy Jackson, sought to ‘clarify’ the boundary on advice from the Solicitor General and issued a statement to the effect that the Ralphs Bay sandflats to low water mark were no longer included within the Conservation Area.
The State Government is attempting to change the boundary of the Conservation Area as a direct result of an approach from the Walker Corporation’s legal adviser in late June/early July 2005.
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