Thursday 5 May 2016

About this Blog

This Blog has been created to provide a discussion and ideas forum on the new Statewide Planning Scheme for 
Tasmania.   Land use planning is considered to be a boring and mostly irrelevant matter.  The only time people get worked up about it is when they try to get a development approved by their local Council.  
But a land use planning system can have a profound impact on how our economy, society and environment evolve.  Over time, if development happens without regard to its consequences and how those consequences are managed it can result in significant economic, social and environmental costs.
No better example of this can be provided than the continued scattered low density sprawl of residential development at the fringes of our cities and towns.  The consequences of this form of development include, increased traffic congestion, low levels of social provision for new communities, high long term costs to the public purse for transport and community infrastructure,  and significant environmental impacts.  
These are real "live" issues in Tasmania today - just listen to ABC local radio or read the letters to the Editor in our newspapers.
And yet, we now have a "Statewide Planning Scheme" hatched after several years of "reform"  that does not provide a framework for these matters to be considered when development happens.  
I am strongly of the view that the current reforms need to get a good public airing and be subject to close scrutiny before they become law.  
I hope that this blog will help get that process rolling.

Bob Graham

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