NO CANAL ESTATE BAN FOR TASMANIA

July 7th - Upper House of the Tasmanian Parliament rejects the Canal Estates (Prohibition) Bill 2011

The Legislative Council of the Tasmanian Parliament debated the Canal Estates (Prohibition) Bill 2011 on July 7th, and voted against this legislation.

During the debate, Members of the Legislative Council (MLC's) referred to the numerous emails and other communications they had received in support of the canal estate ban, and several MLC's praised the efforts and years of hard work by community members to defeat the proposed Ralphs Bay canal estate.

Sincere thanks to all who lobbied the MLC's in support of the canal estate ban - it was a great lobbying effort but, sadly, the upper house has rejected the prohibition of canal estates in Tasmania. Thanks, too, to the supporters who sat in the Public Gallery to hear the debate.

For those interested in the history of efforts to ban canal estates in Tasmania, this was the third canal estate ban bill rejected by the Tasmanian Parliament:

1. April 2004 Tasmanian Greens tabled their Ban Canal Estate Developments Bill 2004. The Greens Opposition Planning Spokesperson at the time was Nick McKim MHA. This bill did not pass in the lower house.

2. April 2009 Tasmanian Greens' Coastal Protection (Ban Canal Estate Development) Bill 2009 rejected in the lower house by Labor and the Liberals. Greens spokesperson on Environment and Coastal Protection was Cassy O'Connor MHA.

3. June 2011. Tasmanian Government's Canal Estates (Prohibition) Bill 2011 passes in the lower house. Labor Planning Minister is Bryan Green MHA.

July 7 2011 Legislative Council (upper house of Tasmanian Parliament) votes down Canal Estates (Prohibition) Bill 2011.

Our thanks go to Bryan Green MHA, Cassy O'Connor MHA and Nick McKim MHA for their attempts to ban canal estates in Tasmania by legislation

Walker Corporation's debt to Tasmania

It has been revealed in the Tasmanian Parliament that the Walker Corporation still owes Tasmania $720 000 for the very costly integrated assessment of its failed 'Lauderdale Quay' proposal - the proposal to excavate the Ralphs Bay Conservation Area and turn it into a canal housing estate.

In 2009, the Tasmanian Planning Commission ordered Walker Corporation to pay $1.1 million to cover the costs of the planning assessment. So far, Walker Corp. has paid around one third of the bill and the Justice Department is currently negotiating the repayment of the outstanding $720 000.

Link to news item: 'Walker Corp yet to pay planning bill'

Last November, the ABC reported that Walker Corp would be billed up to $1 000 000 for the comprehensive integrated assessment of its Ralphs Bay canal estate proposal. See, 'Million dollar bill for failed canal estate'

As councils and state governments around Australia have discovered, the canal estate experience can be a very expensive business!

Thank you, Bill!
Bill Edmunds, our chair person of almost seven years has retired. Many thanks Bill for your long years of commitment to SRB. We wish you all the very best for the future.

THANK YOU for all your help and support over these many years. Without your help (however big, however small) the bay would not be safe today.

What we have achieved between us:
In June 2010, Ralphs Bay was saved when the Tasmanian Planning Commission rejected the proposed 'Lauderdale Quay' canal housing development. You can read all about this in SRB's July 2010 newsletter

With the help of all our friends and supporters, the shorebird feeding and roosting habitats, the spotted handfish, the Ralphs Bay sandflat ecosystem and of course our beautiful views of Mt Wellington across the Bay have been saved, along with the denitrification process carried out by sandflat microbes, which maintains water quality by removing excess nitrates.

We especially recognise our friends at Birds Tasmania and the Environmental Defenders' Office, who have worked so hard with us to save the bay.

Still on our "To do" list:
1. Lobby for a Tasmanian canal estate ban.
2. Ramsar (Wetland of International Significance) status for Ralphs Bay wetlands. The Planning Commission's assessment of the canal estate proposal noted that the Ralphs Bay Conservation Area meets the criteria for Ramsar listing. We have asked Tasmanian Environment Minister Wightman to write to his federal counterpart, requesting assessment of the annexation of Ralphs Bay wetlands to the already listed Pitt Water-Orielton Ramsar site.
3. Marine Protected Area (MPA) status for the Ralphs Bay Conservation Area. The Ralphs Bay Conservation Area was withdrawn from the Bruny Bioregion MPA assessment process some years ago, pending the now-finalised assessment of the canal estate proposal.
4. Support progress on the Review of the Tasmanian State Coastal Policy.

Link to the final TPC report and other archived Tas. Planning Commission files..

About 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.

Save Ralphs Bay Inc.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Walker Corporation returns to Lauderdale this weekend