Prison not to be a Project of Regional Significance

Photo by Mike Moores

Shortly after the announcement of the prison site, furious Westbury residents held a rally on the Village Green which ended with a march on the Town Hall.

By Sharon Webb

THE TASMANIAN Government has refused to consider a strategy which would allow Meander Valley councillors to support Westbury community through the prison process.

Corrections Minister Elise Archer has rejected a suggestion from Tania Rattray MLC that the proposed prison be formally declared a Project of Regional Significance.

‘The Government has been very clear from the outset that this project should go through standard council planning (and related consultation) processes and we remain strongly of that view,’ Ms Archer said.

Status as a Project of Regional Significance would remove the obligation of Meander Valley Council to act as a planning authority on the prison project. It would also remove local bias from the process, perceived or otherwise.

Projects of Regional Significance are declared to deal with situations where councils don’t have the capacity to conduct the rigorous assessment required of higher impact regional projects.

Under Tasmanian legislation declared projects are assessed by an expert based Development Assessment Panel.

A panel provides for local or regional representation and public participation is built into the process because local people can make submissions and contribute at panel hearings.

The panel makes the final decision on the project and the State Government has no role. It cannot change panel decisions, which are not appealable on planning grounds.

On the prison issue, several Meander Valley councillors believe they cannot fully fulfil their role representing community views because they must remain neutral to fulfil their planning authority role. They cannot publicly support or reject the proposed prison location.

Ms Rattray, the Legislative Council member for McIntyre which includes the Meander Valley, said she will use Parliament to ask the Corrections Minister whether the Project of Regional Significance pathway had been considered.

‘If so, why wasn’t it progressed? And if not considered, why not? ‘

Removing the planning process from council would decrease emotion in a situation where councillors living in the Westbury community must make decisions on the prison.

‘I’ve seen families completely fall apart because people have differing views. How do we keep people as council members or aspiring members when they have to go through that process?’ Ms Rattray doesn’t have a set position on the prison location.

‘I’m watching with interest. In my view there is a long way to go and council members will know they’ve got a big job ahead of them,’ she said.
sharon.webb@ meandervalleygazette.com