Clarence City Council has responded to a submission to the Tasmanian Government by Chambroad for its Kangaroo Bay development to be declared a major project.
City of Clarence Mayor, Brendan Blomeley, said that while Council is yet to send its own submission to the State Government in response to the proposal by Chambroad, the proposal does not have the necessary attributes to qualify as a major project.
“This is a complex situation, with many moving parts, and while I understand we are setting a precedent, with this being the first major project proposal, the proposal has many flaws,” Mayor Blomeley said.
“While this application deals with the development side of the process, attention has to be given to the fact that the Council and Chambroad are engaged in a legal buy-back process for the land, so I ask, if land ownership is on the table, how can the State Government grant approval for a development proposal to be considered by an expert panel if the proponent may not own the land?
“There is a serious risk that this process will result in very considerable waste of public money and other resources better directed to other purposes within the community.
“Further to this, I question the eligibility of this project to be declared a ‘major project’. This is not a unique project within the context of the southern region, with this initial process potentially setting a very low threshold for future applications.”
The City of Clarence Council will provide a public summary of its submission after it has been sent.
