There may be a breath of life for the controversial Skylands development..
Developer and Droughty Point landowner Greg Carr this week declared he was considering walking away from his bid to build another 2500 homes across six neighbourhoods, after Clarence City Council voted down an urban growth boundary amendment.
It follows a Council feedback process which uncovered spirited public opposition to the 315-hectare development.
A government spokesman has confirmed Planning Minister Michael Ferguson will intervene, escalating Skylands to the Tasmanian Planning Commission and facilitating the boundary amendment.
Skylands has been described as Australia’s biggest housing development in terms of its potential impact on a capital city.
“Skylands represents an exciting and innovative opportunity to deliver around 2,500 homes at Droughty Point, an area long identified for housing: providing six interconnected walkable neighbourhoods with nearly 70 hectares of public open space including a hilltop park and waterfront reserve,” said Mr Ferguson.
“Unfortunately, this is yet another occasion where, for whatever reason, the elected members of a Council have voted against the expert advice of their own planning department. At a time when we need to deliver as many houses for Tasmanians as we can, this is an extraordinary vote against common sense, good planning, and due process.”
