Submission to Hobart City Council on building heights
General Manager,
GPO Box 503
Hobart 7001
Email publicmeeting@hobartcity.com.au
9 April 2019
Dear General Manager,
I write regarding the issue of building heights for Hobart.
While I do not have technical expertise with regards to the specifics of building heights, my concern about building heights regards aesthetics: that building heights should reflect the character of Hobart and should protect heritage buildings as well as view-lines of the
mountain and/or the river.
I am particularly eager for each level of government, including Hobart City Council, to do more to provide and facilitate affordable housing. There is no need to pursue extra height limits in the city to achieve additional affordable housing as utilising in-fill and medium density development throughout the city would be both effective and in keeping with the existing character.
Further, I encourage all levels of government, including Hobart City Council, to establish inclusionary zoning with minimum percentages to ensure affordable housing options are included in every new development.
Rental affordability, particularly in Hobart, has become dire. Reports on rental prices, rental vacancy and rental affordability all show that too many Tasmanians are being squeezed out of private rentals. The public housing waiting list shows the State Government has not invested enough in the solutions. Low income Tasmanians, especially those on Youth Allowance, Newstart Allowance or single parents on Parenting
Payments are locked out of Hobart’s private rental market.
Every level of government is needed to solve the housing crisis. Hobart City Council can play a significant role by proactively identifying where in-fill developments can occur; ensuring developments in its jurisdiction include, or dare I say are dominated by, affordable housing; and by working with State Government to ensure development applications for affordable housing are processed quickly and barriers to building completion are minimised. We need more housing now. We don’t need taller buildings to achieve this.
Yours sincerely,
Meg Webb
Independent Candidate for Nelson
