Much could be written about the progress and effectiveness of Tasmania’s Planning system and Heritage Legislation over the past 30 years, since direct community action in the early hours of Sunday 5th March 1990, prevented the wholesale demolition of George Fry's old house and store at 22-24 Charles Street, Launceston (part of the later infamous C H Smith Complex).
[Ref. The National Trust’s publication “In Trust for the Nation” published 2000, pages 51/52, for more of the story].
It was abject neglect by the statutory authorities over that 28 year period, to have not ensured the protection of the two buildings. The C H Smith site was purchased 2 years ago for redevelopment by JMC, and the State Government had offered to lease the complex from them for its Service Centre, also loaning Launceston Council $9M to construct car parking on the site. The fact that that none of the four owners who had previously purchased the place, had the money to undertake the restoration task, let alone the overall redevelopment, has been erroneously blamed by some quarters on the Tasmanian Planning System. The State Government had weighed in during the early days, agreeing to transfer ownership of strategic Crown Land next door to 24 Charles Street to the Redline Bus Company to facilitate its later-failed Transit Centre, as a means of Nos 22 &24 Charles St being retained. That former Crown Land freely handed over all of those decades ago, today comprises about one third of the area of the present C H Smith development site.
In 2020, the community's interests are still relying on direct action by its members to protect its cultural heritage and the amenity so treasured and finally recognised by our tourism industry. Our governments at all three levels have failed the community. The Tasmanian community battles to save and protect the cultural characters of its major cities, Hobart and Launceston from the blights of ridiculously tall buildings. These planning issues include several Fragrance proposals and the Gorge Hotel; cable car proposals on Mt Wellington and within Launceston's Cataract Gorge Reserve. Further afield, large subdivisions and destructive developments in scenic heritage places like Cambria Green; intrusive developments in National Parks and Reserves like Lake Malbena; not to mention the imbroglios with highly secretive and contentious developments like Westbury Prison, mobilising and dividing cultural communities, and then...there were the Pulp Mills and forests warfare disasters !
When will governments learn … to listen to and consult with their communities?
At this historic time, when the world, Australia and now the state of Tasmania stares down the rapid spread of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19 health crisis) Tasmanians are being expected to respond to invitations to review both the TASMANIAN MAJOR PROJECTS BILL and the TASMANIAN PLANNING COMMISSION’S ROLES AND FUNCTIONS, in a ridiculous time frame closing on 9th. April 2020.
This is not the time to impose these issues on our Tasmanian community, or our parliamentarians even, who are now under severe pressure to control their personal health anxiety and that of family and close friends. A pandemic is fertile ground for those already suffering from anxiety stresses, and the worsening paralysis of the thought of becoming ill and dying.
Heritage Protection Society (Tasmania) Inc. calls on the Tasmanian Government to immediately suspend the progression of these changes, and for the time being reassure the community there will be no changes to the present system until ‘normality’ to our Tasmanian existence is restored, financial recovery is underway, and a proper and considered view on possible reviews of the planning system may then be entertained by our community.
Lionel Morrell
President
Heritage Protection Society (Tasmania) Inc. Tel 0428137050
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