The Resource Planning and Development Commission (RPDC) has recommended to Planning Minister, Steve Kons, that an assessment should be undertaken into a statewide canal estate ban across local government planning schemes.

Under the Land Use Planning Approvals Act (LUPAA) 1993, Save Ralphs Bay Inc. lodged a Draft Planning Directive with the RPDC in August to prohibit canal estates in Tasmania, consistent with a canal estate ban in the Kingborough Planning Scheme 2000 (see attached).  Under LUPAA, the RPDC is required to work towards consistency across Tasmania’s local government planning schemes and Save Ralphs Bay Inc argues that the bar now needs to be set higher in order to protect Tasmania’s coastal values.

If implemented, this Draft Planning Directive would not affect the Walker Project of State Signficance (PoSS) assessment for Tasmania’s first canal estate development, in Ralphs Bay.  A PoSS over-rides local government planning schemes.  It would however, set an important benchmark for future coastal management in Tasmania.

SRB Inc Chair, Bill Edmunds, said the RPDC had written to the group to say a recommendation for assessment of our Draft Planning Directive had gone to the Minister for consideration.

“The RPDC has accepted the legitimacy of our argument and recommended to the Minister that an assessment should be undertaken.  it will be very interesting to see how he responds to this advice from the ‘independent umpire’.

“It would seem to us, that the Minister has only two choices - to accept, or reject, the independent umpire’s recommendation.  The RPDC should be allowed to investigate why Kingborough Council has implemented a ban, and why NSW banned canal estate construction in 1998.  This would be important fact-finding work in the lead up to assessing the Walker PoSS,” Mr Edmunds said.

Canal estates were banned in NSW in 1998 (S.E.P.P 50) because they cause damage to fisheries, acid sulphate soils, wetland habitat destruction, loss of rare flora and fauna, coastal erosion, water quality problems, household runoff pollution, regular dredging, mosquito and midge storms, and loss of public access to the foreshore and coastal waterways.

SRB Inc. communications coordinator, Cassy O’Connor said, “Minister Kons must feel like he’s in a bit of a pickle.  To accept the RPDC’s recommendation is to send a message to Walker Corporation that canal estates are undesirable in Tasmania.  To reject the RPDC’s recommendation is to send a message to the community that the Tasmanian Government is prepared to ignore the independent umpire when it suits a cynical purpose.  This would not instill great public faith in the process in the lead up to the Walker PoSS assessment.

“We await the Minister’s response with great anticipation,” Ms O’Connor said.