The Premier has this week shown the profound depth of his misunderstanding on the subject of Ralphs Bay, as well as his contempt for community concerns and the Cabinet process.

Cornered by the Liberals’ statement into publicly backing the development, and its entre to the Resource Planning and Development Commission, the Premier set a disturbing precedent and pre-empted Cabinet discussion and decision.

Predictably, the Liberal party came under verbal fire.  The Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Damon Thomas criticised the Liberals’ position as sending an anti-development message.  Then, in media releases issued just minutes apart this afternoon, Clarence Councillor, Brendan Blomeley, and Premier, Paul Lennon, took aim. . . .

The Tasmanian Parliamentary Liberal Party has expressed its strong opposition to the Walker Corporation plan for Ralphs Bay.  It’s a sure sign of how extreme the canal estate proposal is, that a pro-development party such as the Liberals would be so public and adamant about a ‘no’ position.  The story put Ralphs Bay on the front page once again. . . .

Is it just possible that the Lennon Government is reassessing its whole approach to the Walker Corporation plan for Ralphs Bay?

Eighteen months after this outlandish canal estate proposal was first foisted upon the Eastern Shore community, the Lennon Government is showing tentative signs of really listening to its constituents on this issue.

In a small victory of sorts for Ralphs Bay, the Lennon Cabinet has been split over the Walker Corporation’s request for Project of State Significance Status (POSS). The decision to defer debate at the Cabinet table is a signal the political heat is only intensifying.

Save Ralphs Bay Inc is in no doubt the Bay was on Cabinet’s agenda for Monday 15 August 2005. Yet, on Monday morning, Ministers had not received the minutes on the Walker request.

Read todays story in the Mercury HERE

The Lennon Cabinet is widely tipped to meet today to decide whether to endorse or reject Tasmania’s first canal housing plan.  When it does sit down to discuss the Environment Minister’s submission, its members might first acknowledge that the South Arm peninsula community was offered a choice when the Walker Corporation ‘vision’ bubbled up in March 2004.

Tasmanians should not accept the disingenuous line that the only two options are assessment in the Resource Planning and Development Commission as a Project of State Significance or, equally worrying, in the hands of the Clarence City Council. The Premier and the Environment Minister both assured us that public feeling would be weighed in any decision on whether to allow this proposal through to the formal planning process. A sizeable community cross-section has made its feelings very plain.

Cabinet has the right, the legal and policy power, to say to Walker Corporation; “We do not support this development because a significant proportion of the community does not support it. And, because Tasmania is a democracy.”

THERE ARE NOW JUST A FEW SHORT DAYS TO CONVINCE THE LENNON GOVERNMENT THERE WILL BE ELECTORAL PAIN IF IT GIVES WALKER CORPORATION PROJECT OF STATE SIGNIFICANCE STATUS.

STATE CABINET IS LIKELY TO MEET THIS MONDAY 15 AUGUST.

OUR INFORMATION-RICH BROCHURE IS TO BE DELIVERED TO 6500 HOUSEHOLDS BEFORE THE END OF THIS WEEK.  YOU CAN DOWNLOAD IT HERE:

“Save_Ralphs_Bay_Brochure.pdf" (NOTE 624KB PDF DOWNLOAD)