At the recent Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT) General Meeting in Hobart, Tasmanian councils were united in rejecting the current Development Assessment Panel Bill.

The Government has not provided any evidence as to why this reform is needed. The fact is our existing development assessment process is the fastest in the country.

LGAT President and Break O’Day Council mayor Mick Tucker said that “a mere one per cent of discretionary applications across the state go to appeal, and importantly the determinations made by elected representatives were no more likely to be appealed than those determined by council officers”.

Our sector is asking the State Government to focus its efforts on completing the planning reform projects that are already underway, like the long overdue update to the Regional Land Use Strategies and improvements to our subdivision legislation.

“This new process does little to support proponents, all it does is add further layers to an already complex planning system and require the duplication of administrative and technical functions to a planning workforce in local and State Government already under significant pressure,” Mayor Tucker said.

Local government stands ready to work with the Government on the planning reforms that will support our growing local communities.