In the adjournment debate on Tuesday October 13th, Cassy O’Connor MHA alerted members of Parliament to the results of the recent council candidates’ survey, and the long struggle by the community to save Ralphs Bay.

“[6.15 p.m.]

Ms O’CONNOR (Denison) - I rise to speak tonight about a place which is very dear to my heart, as members will know, but also very important to the people of the South Arm Peninsula, very important to the shore birds - resident and migratory - and very important to the survival of the critically endangered spotted handfish. I am speaking about the Ralphs Bay Conservation Area.

I want to acknowledge the Save Ralphs Bay group, that tireless group of defenders of the bay who have been working for five-and-a-half years to protect that place from Walker Corporation’s toxic vision. They, Birds Tasmania and Environment Tasmania surveyed council candidates in three municipalities - Clarence, Kingborough and Hobart - to find out their views on the proposed development, the proposed desecration, of the Ralphs Bay Conservation Area and the privatisation of that parcel of much-loved public coastline.

It is very reassuring to note that clearly amongst our council candidates at least there is more insight and intelligence on this issue than we have had out of any single member of the Bartlett Government, and the Lennon Government before that, over the past five-and-a-half years. Just one candidate out of 27 has indicated support for the canal estate development and two were uncertain. Doug Chipman, former State President of the Liberal Party, and Clarence Council candidate for the position of deputy mayor, said:

‘I oppose this development while there are unquantified environmental and management risks that could impose a significant burden on Clarence ratepayers.’

It is worth pointing out that just last month the Clarence City Council put forward some extra information to the Tasmanian Planning Commission, which was known as the RPDC, as a result of their solicitor’s visit to Western Australia, where they have a number of canal estates - which they are now contemplating banning, along with Victoria and New South Wales. That report to the Tasmanian Planning Commission made it very clear that there are serious financial risks to council, and therefore ratepayers, should this development, heaven help us, ever be allowed to proceed, though I do not believe that it will be.

Hobart City Council candidate Leo Foley explained:

‘I opposed the Ralphs Bay development because it takes public space and public access and public rights away.’

Too right. Public space and the amenity it provides are too important to be sold off. Let us not forget that Walker Corporation proposes to buy this beautiful piece of public coastline and conversation area for around $600 000, which is what it would sell a single block for if it ever got this toxic proposal through.

Kingborough candidate Steve Wass noted community opposition - very important - and people’s sense of place as key considerations in assessing development proposals. Among his other reasons for opposing the canal estate were environmental damage to the area, climate change implications, liability issues for the future and local opposition.

Candidates across all three municipalities expressed strong support for the establishment of a comprehensive, adequate and representative system of marine protected areas in Tasmania. The Hansard record will show, both in budget Estimates and in this place, that the Government has comprehensively walked away from any sort of marine protected area strategy in Tasmania. Less than 1 per cent of our marine environment is protected in Tasmania; the international standard is around 30 per cent and the national standard is 10 per cent. What a disgrace. Yet again it just shows this Government’s contempt for the marine environment.

Michele Higgins, who is running for deputy mayor in Kingborough said:

‘Tasmania is unique, with the number of species in the bioregion from Maria Island down to and including Bruny Island, compared to the rest of Australia. These areas are critical for the survival of species and must be protected.’

James Walker - no relation - who is running for the Clarence City Council said:

‘Yes, I support a canal estate ban. Clarence has 191 kilometres of coastline, not one metre of which I consider appropriate for a canal estate.’

Helen Burnet, that excellent Greens member of the Hobart City Council, a candidate in this month’s council elections for deputy mayor, joined 14 other candidates in supporting a statewide canal estate ban. I would like to point out at this juncture that Kingborough Council actually has in its planning scheme a canal estate ban which it put in place in 2000. It is a pity the Tasmanian Government cannot follow Kingborough’s lead, along with the lead set by New South Wales and Victoria, which have banned canal estates.

Helen Burnet said:

‘Yes, I would support State legislation to ban canal-style developments in Tasmania and find the current State Government recalcitrant and at the same time focussed on destroying the coastline in order to make money through this type of exploitation of natural beauty of our State - not a very clever way of going about things.’

Mr Deputy Speaker, we know the Tasmanian Planning Commission is preparing to hand down its draft integrated assessment report in the next two or three weeks and clearly they will be taking the Clarence City Council’s most recent representation very seriously in determining whether or not to approve this development. I want members to be aware that there is absolutely no compulsion on Walker Corporation to deliver its final proposal before the State election.

Members will remember very clearly what happened last time. On 2 September 2005, Walker Corporation suddenly walked away from this extremely unpopular proposal which had split the Labor Cabinet because they knew it was an electoral stinker. Three months after the 2006 March election, on 6 July 2006, suddenly Walker Corporation was back. The Lennon Government was determined it was going to be a project of State significance and, lo and behold, they introduced the Ralphs Bay Conservation Area Clarification Bill, the sole aim of which was the shrink the conservation area down to a tenth of its former size.

The Bartlett Government simply must compel Walker Corporation to deliver its final report before the State election so that Tasmanian voters, particularly Franklin voters, get an opportunity to have their say at the election.”