What the Tasmanian Liberals will do:

Develop and introduce a statewide residential planning code that will significantly reduce the planning bureaucracy in Tasmania and deliver more consistency in the format, provision and application of planning schemes.

After ten long years of neglect and six Planning Ministers, the 2008 Planning Report Card from the Planning Institute of Australia branded Tasmania’s planning system the worst in the country.

It is obvious that the State Government is still getting its act together on its planning reforms.

But Tasmania cannot afford further delays and dithering by this Labor Government that has made an art form of poor decision making and abuse of process when it comes to important and long overdue improvements to our planning system.

The Tasmanian Liberals are serious about the need for an appropriate and comprehensive planning scheme in Tasmania and are committed to working with the community to achieve that.

It is ridiculous that there are some 29 local councils administering 38 planning schemes in Tasmania with little or no strategic direction from the Government on future development plans at a state level.

This has resulted in inconsistency between local council planning schemes, and a lack of coordination between, and duplication of services across, local councils.

The Tasmanian Liberals would like to see the highly successful Regional Planning initiative, signed on to by North West Tasmanian Councils and the State Government back in 2007, extended and developed into a statewide residential planning code.

Such a code will, at the very least, curb the red tape, paternalism, cost and frustrating delays that define the State’s current planning system and in no way diminish the role and functions of local government.

Instead, the consolidation of the 38 planning schemes to a statewide approach would significantly reduce the planning bureaucracy and deliver more consistency in the format, provision and application of planning schemes.

The Statewide Residential Planning Code would dovetail into the Government’s regional planning process that is nearing completion and provide a state-based planning template through the implementation of three standardised schedules for residential activity, subdivisions and multi-dwellings.

The Code would be adopted across the State by all councils giving consistency to each of the zonings. Each council will maintain their own planning scheme document.

In line with intentions of the North-West Coast Regional Planning initiative, a statewide residential code would:

• Improve the operation of local planning schemes;
• Mandate that local planning considerations be included in the preparation of the statewide residential planning code;
• Reform local councils’ planning schemes by introducing contemporary instruments with a common structure, use of expression etc; and
• Enhance the ability of individual councils to prepare, administer and enforce local planning schemes.

The Tasmanian Liberals will undertake comprehensive public consultation on the proposed changes so that a rational discussion can occur on the need for a statewide streamlined planning system that will provide greater efficiencies and better planning outcomes.  We will implement this policy in consultation with local government.

The current planning system has been a stumbling block to development and investment in Tasmania for too long.

The Tasmanian Liberals are committed to working to change it.