Hobart Railyards: Planning For The Future

Edition 15 of The Waterfront Report includes:

• Railyards Urban Design Strategy Released
• Authority Activity
• Future Direction
• Christmas-New Year Office Closure

Railyards Urban Design Strategy Released

The Sullivans Cove Waterfront Authority will release the Hobart Railyards Urban Design Strategy on Monday. The strategy will provide the basis for new planning provisions for the site.

After many years of use as an industrial site and transport depot, the area will become vacant with the relocation of the railyard facility to the new transport hub at Brighton.

Redevelopment of the Railyards has the potential to create an exciting new urban precinct for the city of Hobart. It could be focused around a major institution while maintaining the working port. The Railyards is the Government’s preferred site for the construction of the new Royal Hobart Hospital.

In order to guide future development at the site, the Authority engaged consultants to research and develop an urban design strategy. A Draft Urban Design Strategy was released for public comment in July 2008 and 57 submissions were received. It was revised to take account of these submissions and a report on the consultation process prepared.

The Hobart Railyards Urban Design Strategy and the Consultation Feedback Report will be available from Monday on the Authority’s website at www.waterfront.tas.gov.au

The next stage in planning, to prepare the new statutory controls, will begin once Cabinet has reached a decision on the Business Case for locating the New Royal Hobart Hospital at the site.

* For further information and downloads, go to the Railyards web page.

Authority Activity

Over the past year, the Authority has:

• Hosted stakeholder briefings and a public exhibition for the Parliament Square project and provided advice to the Department of Treasury and Finance (more information: www.treasury.tas.gov.au).

• Provided advice to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery redevelopment team on its Masterplan to redevelop the existing and adjoining Dunn Place site (more information: www.tmag.tas.gov.au/redevelopment).

• Completed a strategic lighting strategy to improve street lighting in the Cove.

• Fulfilled all statutory obligations relating to planning, building and plumbing.

• Worked with Hobart City Council to improve compliance with the requirements for liquid trade waste disposal.

• Made two amendments to the Sullivans Cove Planning Scheme 1997.

• Investigated strategies for the placement of outdoor furniture in the Cove.

• Worked with Tasports to develop Management Principles to better manage Franklin Wharf.

• Prepared, publicly exhibited and completed the Hobart Railyards Urban Design Strategy.

Future Direction

In July 2008, Premier David Bartlett, announced a review of planning and development on the Hobart waterfront, and expressed the desire for a Masterplan for Sullivans Cove.

The outcome of the review, which was announced in October, reinforced the planning role of the Authority. It also acknowledged the value of the independent professional planning expertise of the Authority and its proven experience in urban design.

The Authority will continue to:

• perform its statutory responsibilities for planning, building and plumbing in Sullivans Cove;

• provide planning advice to prospective developers, project owners and the community; and

• maintain the planning framework – the Sullivans Cove Planning Scheme 1997 and Hobart Waterfront Urban Design Framework 2004.

Christmas-New Year Office Closure

The Authority will be closed from noon 24 December 2008 and will re-open at 10 am 2 January 2009.

At all other times, the Authority office is open to the public between 10 am and 4 pm, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.

Waterfront Report Edition 14

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