Kingborough’s planning system is failing residents. Our Local Provisions Schedule rollout generated more negative representations than any other Tasmanian council. Over 1,500 properties face zoning uncertainty, with landowners unable to secure finance or insurance and development applications blowing out to years of delay. The Landscape Conservation Zone has been applied too broadly, without adequate community input, and in many cases without justification under State Rules.
We all know how infamous Kingborough has become among architects, designers, builders, and tradespeople. Many of them now refuse to take on work here, refuse to build new homes in our municipality, because our council is too difficult to deal with. I am tired of hearing these stories. They are not made up. They are real. And this must change. There was a time, around 20 years ago, when Kingborough was considered one of the easiest councils in Tasmania to deal with. What changed?
As Mayor, I will work with leadership of Council to ensure the planning system serves our community rather than obstructs it.
- LCZ should not be applied unless no other option exists under State Rules, or the landowner has expressly requested it. This is in line with community demand
- Ensure the Rural Living Zone and Rural Zone are properly considered as alternatives in every applicable case
- Fast track straightforward residential and commercial applications and slash unnecessary delays
- Publish target timeframes for each application type, and report publicly against performance every quarter so residents can see whether the system is improving
- Create a faster path for ancillary dwellings and minor works, so a small project is not run through the same process as a major development
- Ensure all future planning decisions are transparent, evidence based, community informed, and account for real world harms to landowners
Once the TPC finalises the LPS, the work does not stop. Under LUPAA, Kingborough Council can initiate its own amendments to the Local Provisions Schedule. That means we can identify localities where the LCZ outcome is disproportionate and pursue rezoning amendments, for example to Rural Living Zone, where landscape values can be managed appropriately without the full restrictions the LCZ imposes. Each amendment must be certified by council, placed on public exhibition, and reported to the TPC for determination. It is a process that requires evidence and takes time, but it is the proper democratic pathway. My commitment is to pursue it, locality by locality, for as long as it takes, to reduce the scale of LCZ application and reverse outcomes that were poorly calibrated from the outset.