The controversial Skylands mega-development on Hobart’s eastern shore has crossed a major hurdle, with the Clarence City Council last night voting to approve a revised masterplan.
The initial plan, which also included around 2,500 new homes across six neighbourhoods on the Droughty Point Peninsula to be built over four decades, had faced rejection by councillors over six months ago.
However, following recent changes to the masterplan, councillors have now agreed that the concept is necessary for the area.
Clarence City Council Mayor Brendan Blomeley says work on the development has only just begun, with what could be years of intensive consultation and potential scrutiny from the community still to come.
Following a council meeting on Monday night, Blomeley said staff will now work towards building a structure plan for the staged development of undeveloped land on the Tranmere, Rokeby and Droughty Point Peninsula based on the approved masterplan.
“Skylands is an exciting development for Tasmania, let alone Clarence,” he said.
“This development has the potential to be at the forefront of urban planning, and is a great opportunity for the City of Clarence.”
“Developing a greenfield site of this size could allow for the absolute best practice in modern planning, creating connected communities and a better lifestyle.”
He believes the Skylands Masterplan could deliver a style of living “unlike anywhere else in Tasmania” and would be a ‘nation-leading example’ in modern urban development.
“The Masterplan is transformational in its design, this new urbanism with walkable communities, breaking the mould of the 1970s-style urban sprawl Tasmania has experienced for decades.”
a sense of intensity of development and the general character of streets, blocks, open spaces and building types. It is not intended to depict any particular style. Image / Skylands
“This plan delivers over seven-times the open space required of a development of this kind and there provides provisions for schools, shopping facilities and essential services.”
“This is a development we need to keep with the growing demands of our city.”
But the Friends of Tranmere & Droughty Peninsula Association maintain that the “crammed” development is not a suitable fit for the area and plans to continue opposing the project.
“There is clearly no social license or support for Skylands in its current [form],” a recent post on their Facebook page reads.
“There is a way forward… meaningful community consultation and a blended option for the Peninsula.”
