Question & Answer – University of Tasmania Sandy Bay Campus – Land Transfer

November 6, 2025

Ms WEBB question to the LEADER for the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Ms RATTRAY

Wednesday, 5 November 2025

This is a question following up from April this year, and I think it’s the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, who’s probably got the answers potentially, or maybe it’s going to be the Leader for Government Business; we will see. The question is regarding repeated public statements made by the University of Tasmania (UTAS) that that it expects to receive $100 million for the Sandy Bay campus land designated for rezoning and sale, yet the STEM business case submitted by the Infrastructure Minister to the federal government on 26 March 2025 indicates on page 7 that UTAS’s expectation of receiving $100 million may also relate to transfer of that land to the state government rather than an open-market sale. Noting the minister had agreed to take this question on notice on 10 April this year, can the government:

(13) Clarify whether the government has committed to providing funding to UTAS for land transfer to the Tasmanian government and, if so, for what amount;

(14) Detail whether, in light of earlier valuations of UTAS campus land indicating that the land in question has a market value significantly less than $100 million, either UTAS or the government has sought a current market valuation of the designated land, and if so, can this valuation be publicly released;

(15) Advise whether the government ever received any evidence or advice from UTAS that the cost of replicating the STEM facilities above Churchill Ave as part of the consolidation of STEM below Churchill Ave would be less than $100 million, and if so, please provide that advice; and

(16) Confirm whether the government has viewed the appendices to the UTAS STEM business case, which do not appear to have been published along with the business case document, and can the government please table the appendices or arrange for UTAS to publish the appendices at the earliest available opportunity, and prior to any expected debate on the University of Tasmania
(Protection of Land) Bill 2025.

ANSWER

Mr President. It appears that it has arrived in my lap.

(17) The government has not given a commitment to UTAS to fund the proposed transfer of campus land.

(18) The current valuation of the UTAS campus surplus land is subject to an education overlay under planning laws. It is expected that if the overlay was removed and the land was rezoned for residential, that the land value would increase. The actual increase to the valuation of the land if rezoned for housing is unknown. The business case identifies a preliminary estimated land valuation for the rezoned surplus land to be worth approximately $100 million, but noted that Tasmanian parliamentary approval is required prior to the land sale occurring.

Ms Webb – Was that a market valuation? The question asked about market valuation is that what you gave me?

Ms RATTRAY – I will see if I can get that clarified, but not in this answer.

(19) The government had access to the UTAS STEM business case when it was submitted by the minister for infrastructure to the Australian Government for a funding bid. The business case had three options around building STEM at Sandy Bay. None of the options had a cost of less than $100 million.

(20) The last answer is the government received the business case’s appendices when the minister submitted the UTAS STEM business case, including the appendices, to the Australian Government. UTAS is the owner of the business case, not the government. As government does not own the business case, it cannot publish the appendices. The government has been advised by UTAS that the appendices have now been published before any debate on the University of Tasmania (Protection of Land) Bill 2025.

I will get back to you as soon as I can on that market value question.

Ms WEBB question to the LEADER for the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Ms RATTRAY

Thursday, 6 November 2025

First, I have a supplementary question from yesterday that apparently you have an answer to, relating to the University of Tasmania Sandy Bay campus land transfer proposal. There was an element I asked for clarification about, whether the valuation referred to in an answer was a market valuation of that land.

ANSWER

Mr President, I gave the commitment to follow up on the member’s question. The answer is a $100 million estimated value and that’s calculated based on the rezoned land. This has been accepted by Deloitte in the development of the business case of the STEM precinct, which has been independently assured in alignment with the Tasmanian Project Assurance Framework.

Ms Webb – So, the answer was no, not a market valuation. Thank you.