PRESS RELEASE 24th April 2021

Rosny Hill Friends Network Inc.        rosnyhillfriends210@gmail.com

24/04/2021

 

HOTEL DEVELOPMENT:

ROSNY HILL NATURE RECREATION AREA

 

MEDIA RELEASE

 

Today Rosny Hill Friends Network and members of the community rallied on Rosny Hill Nature Recreation Area to call on the Liberal and Labor Party to rule out giving authority for the private hotel development.

The newly elected Government must not allow this cherished public green space to be leased by a private developer for profit.

At the Clarence City Council meeting last Monday 19^th April, aldermen raised the question as to whether the Development Approval for a hotel on Rosny Hill had been on-sold.

RHFN remains deeply concerned because of Robert Morris-Nunn’s previously stated intention to on-sell his permit to an undisclosed developer. 

 

Given our recent experience with Kangaroo Bay, we are also concerned that any contractual obligations will not be rigorous. 

 

Does this mean that Robert Morris-Nunn will have to relinquish his “preferred Developer” status?

 

We are concerned that public open space will be leased to an unknown entity who has not been part of the application process, and who may have little concern for the needs and aspirations of the community

 

 

Beth Rees

President, Rosny Hill Friends Network Inc. 

 Errors and Omissions

This piece from Mayor Chipman, which was published in the Mercury Wednesday 27 January, contains errors and omissions. These are pointed out in red italics. In the following passage, the black text is Mayor Chipman’s. This shows the importance of asking ourselves "hey, could there be something missing in this account?"

Critique by D Hoggan with references to Council documents and fact checking with Rosny Hill Friends Network.

 

ROSNY HILL ASSET

“In the heart of Clarence and boasting one of the best vantage points in the city, Rosny Hill is an asset for all Hobartians and visitors to enjoy. While I respect the right to have a different view (“Rosny locals might be small in number but we’re big on care,” Talking Point, January 25), the approved permit to build a 60-room hotel, two restaurants and public viewing areas overlooking the River Derwent, Hobart and kunanyi/Mt Wellington will bring great benefit to the wider community. Mayor Chipman makes this statement of opinion frequently; yet at the 9^th of September 2019 Council Meeting the General Manager provided this answer in response to a Question on notice from the Community.  The bottom line states: "Consequently, there is no cost-benefit analysis available from Council"

The proposed development has been discussed by council since 2011 and been subject to consultation, debate and refinement by the preferred developer. There has been transparent community engagement by council for a decade. This is simply untrue.  The community was not surveyed or informed when Council employed a property consultant in 2012. A local community group was given a copy of the EOI, with significant pages missing in 2014. The community concerns and questions handed to the developers’ staff at Rosny Library were not published

Much of the Council’s work on this project has been COVERT, buried in agendas under vague headings  or embedded in plans and thus difficult to find. The 2010 Strategic Plan is one such document. Note the focus: prosperity, marketing and promotion

The Rosny Hill Friends Network provided its consent to the development application in December, this is a partial truth. The settlement was reached on a revised plan which shifted car parking, service trenches and water reservoirs  with the Resource Management and Planning Appeals Tribunal approving the development permit this month. More partial truth. The resource Management and Planning Appeals Tribunal approved changed plans and issued a permit with far stronger conditions to preserve the Natural Values for which the land was reserved and which overturned  the permit issued by Clarence City Council in January 2020. As a council, it is our role to consider the needs of all residents and make decisions in the best interests of our city. Yet the council is undertaking this role without any cost benefit analysis or survey of community opinions.

The development is well designed (just the Mayor’s OPINION!!) and will enable increased use of the Rosny Hill reserve, (but Mayor, it’s a Nature Recreation Area. Please treat it as such.) not just for residents of Clarence but for the broader community. We are proud to showcase our city through first-class developments.

 

It has been carefully designed (just  more of the Mayor’s OPINION!!)  to respect and preserve the surrounding bushland reserve and stringent planning controls promote and enhance the natural values. These stringent planning controls are thanks to the Community donations that funded the Appeal by Rosny Hill Friends Network.

 

Expert reports submitted by the parties (DEVELOPER AND COUNCIL) to the planning appeal confirm that traffic and noise concerns were not significant. That is, when compared to what is written in the 2015 Interim Planning Scheme Grounds of appeal on these concerns were withdrawn during the appeal process. These grounds were withdrawn not because  they were nothing to worry about. They were withdrawn because of the particular narrow definitions in the Planning Scheme.

We look forward to seeing the long-term benefits this world-class facility will surely bring to our city and the broader economy” 

Alderman Doug Chipman

Mayor, Clarence City Council