Regional Land Use
Strategy of
Northern Tasmania
Version 5.0
January 2016
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
4
1.
8
Part A - Introduction
1.1 Purpose of the Regional Land Use Strategy
8
1.2 Background – Planning Context
8
1.3 Tasmanian Regional Planning Initiative
9
1.4 National Urban Policy 2011
9
1.5 Regional Governance
11
1.6 Regional Overview
11
1.7 Regional Profile: About ‘The Region’
13
1.7.1
Education
15
1.7.2
Social Indicators
15
1.8
Key Regional Opportunities
15
1.9 Key Regional Key Challenges
17
2.
19
Part B - Region Vision and Strategic Directions
2.1 Strategic Framework
19
2.2 Regional Planning Goals, Strategy Directions and Objectives
20
2.3 Regional Goals and Strategic Directions
20
2.3.1
Goal 1 and Strategic Directions
20
2.3.2
Goal 2 and Strategic Directions
23
2.3.3
Goal 3 and Strategic Directions
25
2.3.4
Goal 4 and Strategic Directions
28
3.
Part C – Regional Planning Land Use Categories
29
3.1 Purpose
29
3.2 Regional Overview
29
3.3 Urban Growth Boundary Areas
30
3.3.1
Strategy Intent
30
3.3.2
Implementation of the UGBA
30
3.3.3
Development outside the Urban Growth Boundary Areas
31
3.4 Regional Rural, Natural Productive Resources and Rural Living Areas
32
3.4.1
Rural and Natural Productive Resource Lands
33
3.4.2
Rural and Environmental Living Areas
33
3.4.3
Other Non-rural / agricultural uses
34
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3.4.4
Implementation of Regional Rural, Natural Productive Resources and Rural Living Area 34
3.5 Regional Natural Environmental Area
35
3.5.1
36
4.
Implementation of the Regional Natural Environment Area
Part D - Regional Planning Policies
37
4.1 Regional Settlement Network
38
4.1.1
Regional Overview
39
4.1.2
Regional Settlement Hierarchy
40
4.1.3
Future Settlement Strategies
45
4.1.4
Future Population Growth and Housing (Dwellings) Demand
47
4.1.5
Dwelling Diversity: Mix, Types and Densities
54
4.1.6
Dwellings and Settlement Densities
55
4.1.7
Regional Policies and Actions
59
4.2 Regional Activity Centres Network
63
4.2.1
Regional Activity Centre Network
64
4.2.2
Regional Policies and Actions
73
4.3 Regional Infrastructure Network
76
4.3.1
Regional Overview
78
4.3.2
Regional Policies and Actions
80
4.4 Regional Economic Development
83
4.4.1
Regional Overview
84
4.4.2
Freight and Port Development
86
4.4.3
Manufacturing and Industrial Land
87
4.4.4
Rural and Natural Productive Resources
90
4.4.5
Tourism and Recreation
96
4.4.6
Regional Policies and Actions
96
4.5 Social Infrastructure and Community
100
4.5.1
Regional Overview
100
4.5.2
Regional Policies and Actions
101
4.6 Regional Environment
103
4.6.1
Biodiversity & Native Vegetation
103
4.6.2
Natural Hazards
109
4.6.3
Climate Change Adaption
111
4.6.4
Open Space and Recreation
112
4.6.5
Coasts, Waterways and Wetlands
112
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4.6.6
Regional Landscape and Scenic Amenity
113
4.6.7
Regional Policies and Actions
114
4.7
The Future
120
Version
Date
Description
Effective Date
1.0
11 August 2011
Draft RLUS (JMG for NTD)
N/A
2.0
15 August 2011
Amended Draft RLUS (JMG for NTD)
N/A
3.0
6 September 2011
6 September 2011
4.0
23 September 2013
Final NTRLUS (JMG for NTD)
Revised NTRLUS incorporating changes to Rural Living, Environmental Living and Tourism regional policies and
actions (10 Consulting Group for NTD)
5.0
6 January 2016
Revised NTRLUS incorporating changes to UGB map to include Hadspen (TPC)
6 January 2016
Page 3
23 September 2013
Northern Tasmanian – Regional Land Use Strategy (RLUS)
FOREWORD
The Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993 (the ‘Act’) provides for the Minister of Planning to declare a
Regional Land Use Strategy for each regional area declared in Tasmania. The Act states that an interim
planning scheme must be consistent with, and be likely to further, the objectives of the Regional Land Use
Strategy which applies to it. Currently, each Council within Tasmania is preparing a new planning scheme that
will need to be consistent with the relevant Regional Land Use Strategy.
The Regional Land Use Strategy for Northern Tasmania is a strategic plan for the region’s future development
and planning to 2032. It is has a 20 year planning time horizon for integrated infrastructure, land use
development and transport planning, underpinned by economic development, social and environmental
strategies. The strategy will be revised regularly as new evidence based strategic planning investigations and
information is made available to provide greater certainty to the strategic planning and development of the
region.
The vision identified for Northern Tasmania is:
To create a region that through innovation and strong partnerships makes intelligent use of its
natural advantages to create a positive, affordable and competitive future for all our communities.
By joining together, Northern Tasmanian councils and communities can create platforms for
sustainable economic prosperity while maintaining our beautiful and unique environmental assets.
We will enhance the region’s attractiveness as a place to live, invest and visit; and seek to enhance the
quality of life for all both now and into the future.
The Regional Planning initiative within Tasmania is linked to broader reforms across the Tasmanian Planning
System and at the National level. The Regional Land Use Strategy is a timely document that will demonstrate
how the future planning and development of the region integrates with national reforms to the strategic
planning of our major cities and regional areas and the level of infrastructure funding and investment received.
As such the preparation of regional strategy supports the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) and the
National Urban Policy 2011 policy reforms to align and integrate strategic planning outcomes across all levels
of government, namely between land use and infrastructure planning and funding of capital works. The quality
of regional land use strategies will be a key deliverable in terms of the operation and performance of the
Tasmanian Planning system and future funding and investment under the National Urban Policy.
In 2009 the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act (1993) was amended to incorporate a regional social,
economic and environmental context and requires that regional interests are taken into account through a
broader policy platform. The Regional Planning Initiatives are the result of a partnership between State and
Local Government to develop greater consistency and efficiency in the strategic use of land and land use
regulation through Interim Planning Schemes.
In Northern Tasmania the partnership has been auspiced through the Local Government Committee of
Northern Tasmania Development (NTD) and the process has included representation from each of the
Councils of the Northern Region. The Northern Region (the Region) is comprised of the municipal areas of the
Launceston, Northern Midlands, Meander Valley, West Tamar, George Town, Dorset, Break O’ Day and
Flinders Island Councils (refer to Map 1 – Municipal Boundaries).
Page 4
The response from the Region has been to work with the Tasmanian Planning Commission and State
Government Departments to jointly develop a more co-ordinated approach to planning generally and land use
planning in particular.
The willingness and capacity of regional planning bodies to facilitate and co-ordinate the interface between
the major planning authorities in Tasmania (the State Government and the 29 Councils) is a critical reform and
this strategy alongside the preparation of Interim Planning Schemes furthers that reform.
Barry Easther
Chairperson
Northern Tasmania Development
Page 5
The Northern Regional Land Use Strategy consists of the key components:
This Regional Land Use Strategy (RLUS) has been prepared as a policy framework to guide land use,
development, and infrastructure investment decisions across the region by State and Local Government, and
key infrastructure providers. The Strategy comprises four key components: The Vision, The Strategic
Directions, Regional Planning Land Uses, and the Regional Planning Policies (see Figure 1 below).
Part A – Introduction
The introduction gives background information that explains the purpose, intent and effect of the RLUS. Part A
provides a summary of the context in which the Strategy has been prepared including its linkages with the
Resource Management and Planning System of Tasmania, existing policy documents at the state, regional and
local level and broader national and global imperatives, as well as a summary of the characteristics of the
region.
Part B - Regional Planning Vision and Strategic Framework
The desired future for the development and planning of the region is stated in the vision statement, which is
underpinned by the regional profile. The strategic framework statements set out the broad policy directions
for the RLUS that underpin / guide the specific objectives and desired outcomes to reflect the vision and
regional profile.
Part C - Regional Planning Land Use Pattern
The regional planning land use pattern is principally established by creating three key land use categories
specifically an Urban Growth Boundary and an agreed growth management model that will be applied through
the regulatory provisions of Land Use Planning and Approvals Act (LUPAA) 1993 (the ‘Act’).
Section 30C of the Act gives effect to the Minister of Planning to create regional areas and specifically to
declare a Regional Land Use Strategy for each regional area. More specifically section 30E (6) states that the
contents of a draft interim planning scheme and an interim planning scheme are to be consistent with, and
advance the objectives and outcomes of the regional land use strategy in place for the region.
As such, the regional land use strategy will provide the regional planning settlement strategies for local
government areas and indicate the general allocation of preferred development through the preparation of
the Planning Schemes. This will specifically be achieved through the allocation of zones/zoning and associated
planning provisions (whether common, mandatory or optional common provisions) which will direct growth
within the region and will guide local planning and the coordination of services.
Part D - Regional Planning Strategic Policies and Maps
This part sets out the desired regional outcomes for the region namely:

Regional strategic planning directions / principles necessary to achieve those outcomes;

Specific strategic policies to be applied to guide state and local government planning processes and
decision-making; and

Specific regional planning projects and programs to be implemented over the life of the plan.
Part E - Implementation and monitoring
This part sets out how the RLUS will be implemented, and the monitoring requirements to inform subsequent
reviews of the RLUS.
Page 6
Regional Land Use Strategy
Part A - Introduction
Part B - The Vision, Strategic Goals & Directions
Part C - Regional Land Uses
Regional Land Use Categories:
- Regional Urban Growth Boundary Areas
- Regional Rural Lands, Natural Productive Resources and Rural Living Area; and
- Regional Environmental Areas
Part D - Regional Planning Policies and Mapping
Regional Settlement Network
Regional Activity Centre Network
Regional Economic Development
Regional Infrastructure Network
Regional Environment
Social Infrastructure and Community
Part E Implementation and Monitoring
Page 7
1. Part A - Introduction
1.1
Purpose of the Regional Land Use Strategy
The Regional Land Use Strategy (RLUS) sets specific strategies and policies to address a wide range of issues for
coordinated action between all levels of government at a regional level. It is based upon the synthesis of
existing data drawn from relevant research and strategic policy documents provided by Local, State and
Commonwealth agencies, the Northern Region Group and the Councils.
The purpose of the RLUS is to create the regional strategic planning land use policy intent for the future
planning directives of the development of Northern Tasmania derived from the vision for the State as outlined
by Tasmania Together; objectives of the Tasmanian Resource Management and Planning System (RMPS),
and the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act (LUPAA) 1993.
The RLUS is the statutory regional plan for the Northern Tasmania region that is to be declared by the Minister
of Planning pursuant to S30C of the LUPAA 1993. The overall intent of Northern Tasmanian Regional Land Use
Strategy 2011–2032 is to provide a 20 year strategic regional land use plan that:

Integrates land use planning and policy with environmental, social, economic, conservation and
resource management policies to:
-
manage the region’s development in response to ongoing socio-economic and physical
environmental change; and
-
protect and enhance the region’s quality of life (liveability), productivity and sustainability
for existing and future communities across Northern Tasmania.
This Regional Land Use Strategy is intended to be a broad policy document that will facilitate and manage
change, growth, and development within Northern Tasmania over the next 20 years. It will provide
comprehensive land use policies and strategies for the region based upon for following key parts:
A. A defined regional vision and overarching strategic regional planning goals and directions;
B. Key regional land use categories, including urban growth boundary areas; and
C. A comprehensive set of regional planning policies addressing the underlying social, economic, and
environmental issues in Northern Tasmania.
1.2
Background – Planning Context
The strategic planning of Australian cities and regional areas has been the focus of much attention at the State
and Australian (Federal) Government levels in recent times. At these two levels the relevant planning reforms
set the context to the strategy, which includes the Regional Planning Initiative at the State level and the
National Urban Policy 2011 at the Federal level.
This planning context stems from ongoing reforms to the planning systems, including zoning and development
assessment processes. The preparation of the RLUS should be seen in this wider context of reforms to the
strategic planning of Australian urban centres which will be explicitly linked to ongoing and future Australian
Government funding and investment, including a strategic planning system that integrates land use planning
with that of infrastructures, transport, social and economic development.
Page 8
1.3
Tasmanian Regional Planning Initiative
The Regional Land Use Strategy is a key planning reform of the Tasmanian Government to undertake a
Regional Planning Initiative which covers three regional planning partnership projects with local government
across the North West, Northern, and Southern regions within Tasmania. The current regional planning
initiative was announced in the 2007 State Budget. This led to the signing of a Memorandums of
Understanding in three Tasmanian regions. In Northern Tasmania the memorandum is between the Tasmanian
Government, Northern Tasmania Development and the eight local councils. This signing led to the
commencement of the current project.
Regional strategies as proposed by the Act are not intended to remove powers from councils to act as planning
authorities in their jurisdictions, but planning schemes must display consistency with regional planning
priorities and meet the objectives of the Resource Management and Planning System. Regional land use
strategies are to support the preparation of Interim planning schemes: these schemes may be provided to the
Minister by planning authorities for specific municipal areas. They are subject to Ministerial approval before
being forwarded to the Tasmanian Planning Commission and must concur with relevant planning directives.
1.4
National Urban Policy 2011
With respect to the statistical division of Greater Launceston, the National Urban Policy establishes the first
long term national framework to guide policy development and public and private investment in cities. In
establishing the framework the Australian Government is determined to improve the productivity,
sustainability and liveability of our major urban centres.
The National Urban Policy establishes the Australian Government’s objectives and directions for our cities as
we prepare for the decades ahead. It recognises the critical roles of State, Territory and local governments, the
private sector and individuals, in planning, managing and investing in cities.
This National Urban Policy sets a vision for our cities to deliver future prosperity and wellbeing for our
communities and reinforces the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) national objective to ensure
Australian cities are globally competitive, productive, sustainable, liveable, socially inclusive and well placed to
meet future challenges and growth.
The National Urban Policy complements the Australian Government’s Sustainable Population Strategy and
our ongoing focus and commitment to Regional Australia. It recognises the strong interrelationships between
cities and regions. The policy does not focus on capital cities alone, but recognises the important role that our
major regional centres such as Launceston plays, and the substantial challenges that they face in dealing with
the complexities of the modern economy.
Page 9
Page 10
1.5
Regional Governance
Integral to the broader regional planning is the issue of governance. The Region is developing a governance
framework to focus on a more collaborative and co-ordinated approach to regional planning.
The process is designed to address:
1. Early audit of proposed major developments
2. Assessment of projects of Regional Significance
3. Regional input into Projects of State Significance
4. Assessment of Interim Schemes
5. Review of the regional components of Planning Schemes
6. Building regional and local planning capacity
7. Engaging the region on planning matters
8. State/regional co-ordination of strategic and land use policy development and its implementation
What should this achieve?
Increased local and regional control of significant development issues (principle of subsidiarity)
Increased certainty for developers and early signals of development opportunities and risks
Streamlined and consistent planning processes (e.g. common electronic application forms) and
increased planning capacity across the region and resource sharing
Reduced costs for developers and councils
Earlier and more informed engagement of key stakeholders and local communities in major planning
issues
Better co-ordination between the state and local councils in the planning and delivery of infrastructure
and other state policies
A simple mechanism for resolving contentious planning issues e.g. PAL
Increased independence from the political process
Consolidation of regional planning data and knowledge (for example around population settlement
issues)
These matters of governance and broader planning issues, including the implications of federal planning
reforms will also inform the next steps in the development of the regional land use strategy.
1.6
Regional Overview
Economy
Economic prosperity is a significant factor in Northern Tasmania’s ability to enhance the levels of community
services, cultural facilities and environmental protection that underpin our lifestyle and values. Economic
growth generates employment, higher growth, better standards of living and more sustainable services. The
economy relates to the ability of the businesses in the regional economy to compete and secondly the ability
of the region to compete for investment and people.
The RLUS seeks to reduce the barriers to investment in ways that are consistent with the vision for the region
and other relevant social and environmental strategies. It can do this in a number of ways, including
coordinating services to ensure that land for appropriate development is available in the best locations, and
ensuring that priority is given to investment that improves the necessary transport, energy and
communications infrastructure.
In doing so, the RLUS also recognises that the region contains an isolated system in the Furneux Group of
Islands that do not experience the normal economic transactions of the balance of the region due to their
remoteness. As such, the Furneaux Group relies on local strategies to capitalise on its unique attributes to
further economic objectives.
Page 11
The RLUS seeks to identify, protect and maintain or enhance sources of natural or competitive advantage and
to ensure that they are appropriately communicated and marketed. Northern Tasmania’s distinct
opportunities are:
 Unique Natural Environment
The region is recognised as having high environmental values and low levels of pollution which lends itself to
brand association with purity and quality for many specialised manufacturing (food) agricultural and service
industries (tourism).
 Available natural resources
The region’s resources ranging through education, transport, energy, agricultural land and natural beauty
provide a significant platform for future innovation. The potential for increasing productivity through process
innovation and development of new products is a significant focus for both government and private sector
activity.
 A pleasant climate with dependable water
With forecasts suggesting manageable impacts of climate change in the region, Northern Tasmania may
become an attractive destination for those seeking refuge from harsher climates or industry or agriculture
dependent on reliable water and /or stable weather patterns.
 High levels of liveability
Northern Tasmania has many ‘quality of life’ advantages that can make it an attractive location for people and
businesses. There is a documented strong correlation between liveability and innovation. Economic success
through competitiveness and innovation generally lead to increased quality of employment, increased
opportunity for the workforce and consequently higher work force participation, improved social inclusion,
and through increased revenue the capacity to sustain higher levels of cultural and recreational services.
People
Planning for people refers to the quality of life a particular area can offer and its relative attractiveness as a
place to live. A focus on liveability is important for the regional framework for two key reasons:
 It can improve Northern Tasmania’s attractiveness to investment and skilled people, and;
 It can strengthen the various communities and enhance levels of community pride and inclusion.
The economic competiveness of the Region will largely depend on its ability to attract and retain people with
specialised knowledge and entrepreneurial skills. Such people are in global demand and, put simply, the more
attractive Northern Tasmanian can be made, and the more likely people will move and stay here. Aligning land
use policy and investment decisions to enhance liveability is a key objective of the Regional Land Use Strategy
as it will improve the strength of the communities and longer term economic performance.
Northern Tasmania also encompasses Aboriginal land on several discrete islands in the Furneaux Group, where
the residential community continues traditional culture. The use and settlement of these lands requires
consideration of the particular local values.
Environment
Northern Tasmania has a unique natural environment. It is recognised nationally and internationally for its
beauty, biodiversity and natural resources. It is also the source of much of the region’s wealth. Caring for the
natural environment and using its resources in the most sustainable way is critical to the region’s future wellbeing.
Closely related to sustainability is resilience, defined as capacity to respond to shock. Resilience for a
geographic area refers to its capacity to respond to sudden, challenging environmental, economic or social
changes. A region is resilient if it can either withstand such changes without experiencing a decrease in the
standard of living or if it can quickly recover from those events. Industries that rely directly on the natural
Page 12
environment make up a significant component of the Northern Tasmanian economy. Many are small
businesses that are serviced by local suppliers and have scope for expansion and innovation and are the focus
of many government and community initiatives.
1.7
Regional Profile: About ‘The Region’
Northern Tasmania forms the second largest region within Tasmania with approximately 28% of the states’
population and one third of its economy i.e. domestic product. Northern Tasmania comprises about a third of
Tasmania's land mass and in 2010 had an estimated population of around 142,000. The area of Northern
Tasmania aligns with the areas of the eight Northern Tasmanian Councils: Break O'Day, Dorset, Flinders,
George Town, Launceston City, West Tamar, Meander Valley and Northern Midlands.
Launceston City and its greater urban area is the home to the largest urban population outside Hobart City and
its greater area. The Greater Launceston Urban Area (GLUA) is one of Australia’s top 18 largest urban areas
and is a focus for Federal Government Infrastructure investment and planning. By many measures the future
of the region looks positive. The population is growing across the region at moderate rates, agriculture is
strong and there are significant industries. There is a strong sense of optimism about the Region’s future with
a diverse range of opportunities and challenges.
Northern Tasmania has emerged as a business hub and the centre for a growing regional population based on
its economic, competitive and natural advantages that include:
 abundance of natural resources including a mild temperate climate, reliable rainfall, clean air, rich fertile
soils and an unspoilt natural environment;
 ideal growing conditions for pasture and cropping that support adaptive, flexible agriculture and dynamic
viticulture;
 wide and diverse industry base with competitive business costs that have attracted international and
national companies to the region;
 skilled and stable workforce attracted by diverse job opportunities and extensive cultural and recreational
activities; and
 state-wide transport and distribution hub with Launceston less than three hours’ drive to all parts of
Tasmania.
Key business sectors include:
 aquaculture and fishing;
 food and beverages;
 agriculture;
 forestry and timber;
 manufacturing;
 ship-building;
 tourism. (Source: NTD and DED regional profiles)
Regional communities, such as Northern Tasmania, are in a competition to attract mobile people and
workforces to their regions. This is a global competition that requires consideration at a policy level to
constructing advantage, not merely relying on comparative advantage. Constructing advantage requires the
development of policy platforms at a regional level.
The RLUS builds upon Towards a Regional Planning Strategy for Northern Tasmania – North Plan (2009) and
the draft Regional Land Use Planning Framework document (May 2011) and best practices for regional
planning policy and development literature in suggesting that three platforms are critical in identifying regional
planning challenges and opportunities: economic competitiveness and innovation (i.e. productivity);
liveability and sustainability.
Page 13
Population
Population in 2006
ERP 2010
Population percentage of Tasmania
Population Growth 1996-2006
Major Urban Area
Major District Centres
133,929
142, 000
28%
3,068
Launceston Urban Area
Deloraine, Westbury, George Town, St Helens, Campbell
Town, Beaconsfield, Longford, Perth, Scottsdale
St Helens, Scamander, Bridport, Greens Beach
Main coastal centres
The age profile of the population is increasing with greater numbers in all age groups over 45-49 years in 2006
compared to 1996 and fewer in all age groups less than 44 years, except 15-19 years which was similar in 2006
and 1996. The aging population is due to improvements in life expectancy and declining fertility rates which
increases the proportion of the population that is aged.
The proportion of children has been steadily declining over time which is a common phenomenon in
developed societies with declining fertility rates and postponed child bearing factors. Trends in family and
household composition are similar for Tasmania with an increase in the number of small households at the
expense of larger households. This trend has implications for housing supply and demand for diversity in
dwelling types. In 2006, the mean household size was 2.4 persons for Tasmania and the Region.
In most areas within the Region, the rate of increase in the number of private dwellings was greater than the
rate of population growth with the main increases being in Launceston city, West Tamar and Meander Valley.
Regional Land Use – Hectares & percentage of Region
Cropping
Horticulture
Grazing
Dairy
Plantation
forestry
52,052Ha
1,417
562,063
20,494 107,586
2.62 %
0.7
28.29
1.03
5.42
Production
forestry
388,311
19.55
Mining
Urban
Residential
Other
Water
Residential
native cover
5780 Ha
18354
601,882
203,363
25,377
0.29 %
0.92
30.30
10.24
1.28
Source: Northern Tasmanian Regional Profile 2010, Eyles K and McCall, University of Tasmania
Land capability has been mapped for private freehold and leased Crown land in western and central parts of
the Region and modelled for the northeast and Flinders Island. The land capability class gives an indication of
the general degree of limitation to use. The identification of prime land is important for the implementation of
the State Policy for the Protection of Agricultural Land 2009.
Land Capability - Hectares
Prime Land Class 1-3
Class 4 -5
Class 6-7
Not Classified
41,809 Ha
728,186
282,230
889,007
Source: Northern Tasmanian Regional Profile 2010, Eyles K and McCall, University of Tasmania
Reserves Hectares and percentage of Region
National park
State Forest
Other
Reserves
141,397 Ha
442,541
247,629
7.09 %
22.18
12.41
State
Local reserves
Private Reserves
Total Reserves
131
0.1
24,171
1.21
855,869
42.90
Employment
The number of jobs in manufacturing by type is provided in the following Table.
Food/
Textile
Wood/
Printing
Chemical
Page 14
Metallic
Fabricated
Equipment
Manu-
Beveridge
5914
paper
1100
3417
671
Petroleum
Mineral
Metal
1011
3087
945
facturing
2720
1555
For almost all types of manufacturing, Launceston accounts for the greatest number of jobs in the region, with
only two exceptions.

Meander Valley accounts for the greatest number of jobs in basic chemical and chemical product
manufacturing in the region.

George Town accounts for the greatest number of jobs in primary metal and metal product manufacturing
in the region.
In 2006 approximately 14,158 people were employed in the travel, accommodation, food and tourist services
areas. Between the years 2003-2007 there was an increase in businesses in agriculture, forestry and fishing,
education, health and community services and personal and other services with a slight decrease in wholesale
trade, transport and storage. The majority of businesses are in agriculture, forestry and fishing and property
and business services.
Between 1996 and 2006 there has been a decrease in the proportion of full time workers in the labour force.
There has been an increase in part time employment as a proportion of those in employment.
Most employees travel to work by car. The ability to work from home is increasing due to advances in
communication technology but the number of those working from home has not increased.
1.7.1
Education
Enrolments in the Region have declined at Kindergarten and Primary school levels between 2001 and 2010 and
remained stable at Secondary level. Opportunities for post-secondary education and training are rare outside
Launceston with only a couple of specialised centres including University of Tasmania Rural Health Teaching
sites at Campbell Town, St. Marys, Scottsdale, George Town and Flinders Island and an Australian Maritime
College site at Beauty Point.
1.8
Social Indicators
Home ownership rates in 2006 were 40 per cent of the households in the Region. For households purchasing
their home 15-20 per cent were experiencing housing stress whilst up to 25-30 per cent of those renting were
experiencing stress. There has been an increase in pensions mainly related to aged pensions.
Forty eight per cent of the households in the Region were connected to the internet with up to thirty per cent
having a broadband connection. In 2006 the Socio Economic Indexes for Areas developed by the Australian
Bureau of Statistics show some areas within the Region as being ranked in the bottom decile for Tasmania,
whilst others are ranked in the top two deciles.
1.9
Key Regional Opportunities
Northern Tasmania is the best connected region in the state by air and sea to the mainland, specifically to
Melbourne which has a major port and second busiest airport in Australia. Northern Tasmania location is the
state’s obvious gateway for freight and visitors. The region has untapped potential in terms of agricultural
products, renewable energy resources and tourism.
Page 15
The region continues to attract residents from the mainland seeking lifestyle attributes and the range of major
support facilities and services in education, health, sport, recreation and culture which is excellent.
A key consideration for the region is how it portrays and projects itself on the national scene. A number of
Australian regions can be said to ‘punch above their weight’ by branding and marketing themselves around
iconic values, features or products. Examples of this include regions that promote lifestyle, tourism, education,
landscapes, culture, food, wine, and heritage and so on. To some extent the way in which the Tamar Valley and
the Tasmanian East Coast have been branded in recent years is consistent with this approach.
The region is the best located in Tasmania to service the growing need to provide for the movement of freight
between the whole of Tasmania and the mainland and internationally. The combination of deep water port,
airport and highway and rail connections to the rest of Tasmania and large sites adjacent to these facilities to
support industrial investment, warehousing, storage and service businesses, positions this region better than
any other.
Key Regional Attributes
 Sustained regional population growth including net growth from interstate migration
 Diverse landscapes, coastal areas and tourist product
 Major banking and financial services
 Major tourist destinations and state gateways
 Major hub for freight movements
 Major General Base Hospital
 Major University Campus
 Modern and large capacity Domestic Airport
 Large capacity deep water Port
At the larger scale, beyond the region, global communications and information technology have transformed
work, jobs and people’s social lives. In the Australian context the economy of the nation has been transformed
over the last twenty years. There is far less reliance on agriculture and manufacturing, levels of wealth have
risen and there is a greater expectation by most households on the services that governments will provide
them with. In terms of the environment the implications of rising levels of greenhouse gases may still be under
some discussion but it is clear that no region is immune from the government and corporate responses to this
situation.
At the regional scale in northern Tasmania there have been significant changes over the last two decades or
so, some of the major changes across the region have included:
1.
The population of the region has aged but grown steadily.
2.
The basis of the regional economy has shifted (similar to most other regions) to a greater emphasis on the
tertiary and service sector (business, financial services, retail, education, health, tourism), and small and
medium sized enterprises for employment.
3.
Manufacturing, agriculture and forestry while still very important are declining in relative economic and
employment significance, which has impacted across the region but particularly on some areas.
4.
The region’s role through the port and airport as the freight and passenger/tourist gateway for Tasmania
has grown significantly.
5.
Major upgrades of the regional transport network have focused on the development of the airport and its
business park, the transport connections to the airport and the port, but generally not on other parts of
the region.
Page 16
6.
The regional service centre role of Launceston in terms of education, health, and financial and business
services has strengthened.
7.
Tourism has shifted to more high value, short stay, quality product, food and wine. Destination tourism
has a greater focus on the East Coast - such as St Helens and the Freycinet Peninsula (which is often
accessed via this region), on the Tamar Valley, on heritage and the river waterfront. Road links to other
parts of the region have generally not been well developed and limits access for many tourists –
particularly large touring style vehicles.
1.10
Key Regional Key Challenges
Challenges facing the region are not unique to this region or many regions across Australia or other parts of
the world. All countries and regions are competing on a global scale; relatively small regions not on global
routes can easily be marginalized in that process.
Distance is an issue and a relatively small population base (Tasmania is just over 2% of the national market)
which also means that local - domestic markets are comparatively small. Tasmania’s location is at the margins
in terms of the mainstream flows of goods and services and distance from the hubs of Australian population
and economic activity. This issue becomes particularly intensified for the Furneaux Group of Islands.
The changes that have taken place and extrapolating likely future forces and changes it is possible to identify
key strategic challenges likely to be faced by Northern Tasmania over the next two decades or so.
These key strategic challenges include:
Isolation
Tasmania as an island state is likely to be further marginalised in a globalised world dominated by trade,
connections and networks that favour Asia and the northern hemisphere. On the other hand global
communications and IT reduce the ‘tyranny of distance’ and ensure that Tasmania has an enhanced
opportunity to be part of an international trade in products, services and ideas.
Maximising Regional Location and Position
Northern Tasmania is better placed in terms of proximity and infrastructure capacity to link with the rest of
Australia and particularly the south east of the nation, where two thirds of Australians live and manufacturing
and tertiary sector employment is concentrated, capitalizing on that advantage is critical.
Ageing Population and Decreasing Workforce
Similar to the rest of Australia the population and workforce of Northern Tasmania will age and the proportion
of the population in the workforce will decline. Competition for skilled workers will increase. Regional
workforce and skills deficits will become more evident.
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Without intervention regions that are distant from growth economies will be likely to struggle to meet their
demands for a skilled workforce across professions and key occupations.
Workforce Labour Supply and Skill Shortages
Most regions have no defined plan to meet future workforce and skills needs and shortages. Local and regional
training and education is not closely linked to researched future labour force needs. There is a need to lift the
profile and significance of education, higher education and skills training.
Low participation levels will impact on the region’s economy. Education and training investment have the
potential to be a major driver of the economy. Traditional industries may offer fewer new jobs in the long term
future. New jobs will require a better skilled and trained workforce. A better-educated/skilled workforce may
be attracted to jobs elsewhere.
Economic Diversification and Services
Agriculture
Significant opportunities for investment in agriculture based on new irrigation schemes and for niche and high
value specialist products exist.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy options are significant. Wind energy generation opportunities in the northeast and
Furneaux Group are substantial and tidal and wave energy potential on the north east coast and Furneaux
Group needs further investigation.
Aged Health Care, Housing and Services
An ageing population leads to a growing dependency ratio, increased service industries for an ageing
population, and different housing options to meet their needs. There is a growing critical need to keep persons
in their homes longer because hospital and care facilities will be unable to cope with the numbers and
communities will not be able to afford the costs. Providing direct services to aged persons in more remote
locations and scattered towns and communities will be increasingly difficult.
Investment and upgrading of medical and health facilities in the region will be increasingly important for
retaining and attracting population. The growing competition between regions for retirees seeking liveable
areas with lower priced housing and quality core facilities and services.
Tourism
With an increasing emphasis on quality/experiential tourism regions that offer quality tourism experiences in
pristine environments with ready access to international connections will be well placed. Growth and
investment in tourism and recreation is focused in and around Launceston and in a limited number of other
sites dispersed across the region. However, some remote areas have great potential but are being
marginalized in this area. There will also be a growing need to re-establish the region’s role as the tourist
gateway to Tasmania through the airport and the regional transport network.
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2. Part B - Region Vision and Strategic Directions
2.1
Strategic Framework
A regional planning vision
The vision identified for Northern Tasmania is:
To create a region that through innovation and strong partnerships makes intelligent use of its natural
advantages to create a positive, affordable and competitive future for all our communities.
By joining together, Northern Tasmanian councils and communities can create platforms for sustainable
economic prosperity while maintaining our beautiful and unique environmental assets.
We will enhance the region’s attractiveness as a place to live, invest and visit; and seek to enhance the
quality of life for all both now and into the future.
To deliver the vision the region specifically needs to:

expand its share of the state’s population.

strengthen its economy through greater employment diversification and better integrate its economic
growth and development with the rest of Tasmania and particularly the mainland and Melbourne.

capitalise on its access to the major highway and railway spine that links it the rest of Tasmania.

increase the capacity to expand the level of access to key services accessible to persons in the towns
and rural areas across the region.

build on its leading role in the provision of education, training, medical and hospital facilities and
services.

further develop and reposition its tourist product to continue to attract tourists and longer stay
visitors.

increase its capacity to be more self-reliant in terms of sustainable energy sources and more
productively use it water resources.

direct growth through an adopted urban settlement network.

increase the long-term productivity of its agricultural, forestry and natural resources.
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2.2
Regional Planning Goals, Strategy Directions and Objectives
The following section suggests a policy framework for the regional planning process by setting four key goals
into clear regional planning strategic directions and objectives. These are translated into specific regional
policies to address the regional planning topics in Part D of the RLUS.
To achieve the Region’s vision the RLUS is driven by an integrated suite of strategic planning directions under
four (4) key over-arching goals that underpin the National Urban Policy 2011: Productivity, Liveability,
Sustainability, and strong Governance.
2.3
Regional Goals and Strategic Directions
Four Key Regionals Goals
1.
Facilitating economic competitiveness and innovation – productivity.
2.
Enhancing liveability.
3.
Maximising sustainability to develop community resilience.
4.
Providing strategic and transparent leadership – integrated governance.
The strategic directions outline how the specific goals will be addressed through the RLUS. They are a broad
policy framework to guide the planning of the region and how it will be achieved.
2.3.1 Goal 1 and Strategic Directions
 Goal 1: Facilitate economic development through competitiveness and innovation strategies
(productivity) by integrating land use and infrastructure planning (inclusive of transport)
that achieves leverage and value from the return of investment into infrastructure
provision.
To be achieved by:

Ensure land use planning integrates and assists where possible in creating diverse economic and
employment opportunities with strategic located quality infrastructure and services, including education,
health and transport.

Ensure urban and rural areas are mutually supportive and collaborative in creating wealth for the
community and its future prosperity and sustainability.
The success of economic development strategies will be achieved through competitiveness and innovation
that generally lead to:
 increased quality of employment,
 increased opportunity for the workforce and consequently higher workforce participation, improved social
inclusion, and
 through increased revenue the capacity to sustain higher levels of cultural and recreational services.
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Making land available in the best strategic locations across the Region and ensuring it is development ready is
crucial to the success of economic development strategies. Activity hubs specifically of industrial, agricultural,
natural resource specialisation can be identified and strengthened through the regional land use strategy and
regulated through the statutory planning process, namely through the various planning schemes and
associated zoning provisions.
Examples of such hubs in Northern Tasmania include the Bell Bay heavy industrial precinct around its deep
water port and the Launceston Airport logistics hub and potential intensification of agricultural activities
through proposed irrigation schemes and the economic scenario of creating a Northern Food Bowl to expand
local and international markets for agricultural products.
Supporting inward migration, education and skills development and a culture of lifelong learning to ensure
sufficient employees with the skills necessary to support and drive economic development. Portability of skills
across sectors is important in this context. Cross-sectoral linkages enhance the region’s prospects for
innovation.
Developing industry networks to enhance trust and cooperation within and between industry sectors and
promoting exchange of knowledge will enhance capacity for innovation. Facilitating partnerships between
industry, government and research institutions is vital and the University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a key driver of
knowledge in the region.
Strategic Direction 1
Capitalise upon the region’s sources of competitiveness by identifying future sustainable
competitive advantage by achieving the following strategy objectives:
a.
Facilitate innovation and capitalise on the co-location of industry and strengthening clusters of economic
and employment activity to add value, diversifying the economy and generating jobs.
b.
Develop the preconditions for business competitiveness by flexibility through merits-based planning and
development assessment processes by:
i.
flexibly considering the location of economic development in a changing economic environment;
ii.
focusing on community-specific outcomes and environmental impacts rather than a standardsbased approach.
c.
Facilitate the needs of small business including working from home and other flexible/non-traditional
locations.
d.
Support high value-adding and downstream activities to natural resources including small scale
manufacturing and processing enterprises.
Strategic Direction 2
Adopt an integrated and coordinated approach to all of government infrastructure, transport and
land use planning by achieving the following strategy objectives:
a.
Coordinate the provision of the necessary transport, energy, communications and other infrastructure
services with appropriate zoned and located land for development that can add value to the level and
return of investment.
b.
Coordinate transport planning and land use planning by:
i.
safeguarding planned network improvements;
ii.
identifying key transport networks and future networks; and
iii.
understanding transport growth predictions
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c.
Encourage sustainable modes of transport by:
i.
protecting the rail and road network from encroachment of sensitive uses;
ii.
ensuring traffic impacts and car parking are adequately considered;
iii.
encouraging greater cycling, walking and public transport use.
d.
Coordinate land use, future sewerage and water provision promoting effective and efficient use of existing
service infrastructure.
e.
Maximise the provision of communications technology including the broadband network to commerce
and industry, and to create opportunities for new development.
Strategy Direction 3
Develop a thorough understanding of key industry needs, including future demand and spatial
(location) requirements by achieving the following strategy objectives:
a.
Support Agricultural and related primary industries by:
i.
recognising the complex jurisdictions and the role of Natural Resource Management (NRM)
organisations;
ii.
applying the Protection of Agricultural Land Policy 2009 consistently across the region;
iii.
supporting the forest practices system and ongoing structural reforms;
iv.
promoting appropriate aquaculture development;
v.
identifying and mapping key mineral assets, and protecting key resources; and
vi.
supporting appropriate mining and mineral development, and protecting that resource from
encroachment of sensitive land uses.
b.
To support Tourism, Culture and the Arts by:
i.
recognising the drivers of tourism including natural values, heritage, food and wine, and local
character;
ii.
providing for the development of tourism products including accommodation to meet the
requirements of the industry.
c.
To support retail and commercial development (businesses) by:
i.
developing a regional activity centres hierarchy.
d.
To support industrial development including freight distribution and logistics by:
i.
identifying the growth and infrastructure needs of the key transport hubs of Bell Bay and the
Launceston Airport precinct and intra-regional freight links to outside the region (south and
north-west).
e.
To ensure sufficient supply of employment and industrial land for a variety of innovative commercial
businesses and industries in the most appropriate locations by identifying a hierarchy of key sites,
specifically:
i.
regional significant precincts
ii.
strategic employment sites (universities, hospitals, government research facilities, etc.)
iii.
business enterprise parks
iv.
local industry and services employment
This will be achieved through appropriate zoned land that is development ready (serviced with adequate
enable infrastructure) land in each tier of the hierarchy within the planning schemes.
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2.4
Goal 2 and Strategic Directions
 Goal 2: Enhance community and social development through liveability measures to create
health, strong and vibrant urban and rural settlements in accordance with the regional land
use categories and related regional planning policies.
To be achieved by:

Encourage well designed communities that are accessible, healthy and safe to improve resilience;

Acknowledge and reinforce the distinct land use and visual amenities characteristics of municipal areas
and Northern Tasmania collectively; and

Ensure the community has access to a range of quality open space and recreational opportunities.
Liveability refers to the quality of life a particular area can offer and its relative attractiveness is a place to live.
A focus on liveability is important for our regional strategy for two key reasons: firstly because it can improve
Northern Tasmania’s attractiveness to investment and skilled workforce; and secondly it can strengthen our
communities and enhance levels of community pride and inclusion.
The region’s economic competitiveness will largely depend on our ability to attract and retain people with
knowledge and entrepreneurial skills. Such people are in global demand and, put simply, the more attractive
Northern Tasmania can be made the more likely people will be to move here and to stay here. This is
particularly important for the more isolated Furneaux Group of Islands, where attracting and retaining
population and visitation is critical to its economic future.
Aligning regional planning land use policy and investment decisions to enhanced liveability should be a key
objective of the regional strategy. It will improve both the strength of our communities and our longer-term
economic performance. While the drivers of liveability are being progressively understood, there are good
indications that the following are strong contributing factors:
Aesthetics: It is increasingly recognised that places of high functionality and aesthetic beauty perform better
and have greater economic and social success. The quality of the urban environment correlates with the
attractiveness of public spaces, the presence of parks, quality landscaping, accessible outdoor recreation
opportunities, care of heritage, and the retention of public views. Attractive places simply ‘do better’.
Social inclusion and tolerance: The ability for people to meet, build relationships and participate in the
community is generally higher in liveable places. Liveable places also seek to embrace diversity and are
comfortable with cultural and other forms of social difference.
Culture: Places that have accessible cultural opportunities including art, theatre and music are more liveable.
An absence of diversity and cultural opportunity are known to be important factors in younger people’s
decisions to leave rural and regional areas.
Aboriginal land forms a strong cultural link between current communities and their history and tradition.
Safety and security: Low levels of antisocial behaviour and criminal activity create places of economic
competitiveness and stable employment, and a prevailing sense of personal safety.
Northern Tasmania enjoys a relatively high standard of liveability. While little empirical data is available, key
attributes of our liveability are considered to be:
Page 23






unique environmental assets and a reputation for environmental performance and sustainability;
high levels of scenic amenity and aesthetic beauty;
accessible outdoor recreational opportunities in both urban parks and surrounding forests, mountains and
coastal areas;
the strong, well-established regional centre of Launceston, delivering high levels of community services;
relatively high levels of community cohesion and personal safety;
high levels of cultural heritage, with associated community pride and strong sense of place.
The high speed broadband network will contribute to increasing liveability in Northern Tasmania. Access to
information and internet-based services are becoming increasingly part of everyday life. Modern
telecommunications will remove many current limitations and may provide a competitive advantage for
smaller settlements in attracting investment and migration.
Strategic Direction 4
Develop an Urban Growth Boundary Area and settlement strategy by achieving the following
strategy objectives:
a.
Establish an urban settlement hierarchy based on the most appropriate locations for future population
growth and urban centres within an Urban Growth Boundary Area.
b.
Coordinate investment of services to existing and future settlements ensure maximum integration,
community benefit, efficiency and long-term sustainability of service provision.
Strategic Direction 5
Respond to socio-demographic changes by achieving the following strategy objectives:
a.
Plan for the needs of an ageing population and retaining and attracting a skilled labour supply particularly
people aged 15 – 29 to ensure a sustainable future workforce.
b.
Plan and encourage a diverse range of dwelling types such as small lot housing and multiple dwellings,
specifically in more highly accessible locations to match changing household sizes and composition.
Strategic Direction 6
Value local character by achieving the following strategy objectives:
a.
Recognise the important role that character has on our economy and sense of place.
b.
Recognise and protect significant cultural heritage, in particular places significant to the Aboriginal
community.
c.
Promote local identification and protection of unique character.
Strategic Direction 7
Enhance social inclusion by achieving the following strategy objectives:
a.
Improve accessibility through improved walking and cycling provision, and to integrate public transport.
b.
Consider accessibility of services in the location of new dwellings and affordability issues.
c.
Provide for mixed land uses such as the integration of residential and service uses.
Page 24
2.5
Goal 3 and Strategic Directions
 Goal 3: Adopt and maximise sustainability measures for new development and develop
stronger community resilience to social and environmental change, such as threats of
climate change, changing socio-economic demographics and prevailing economic
development conditions.
To be achieved by:

Provide planning and development outcomes which collectively reflect the particular considerations for
the settlement and land use dimensions of social advancement, economic prosperity, healthy
environmental systems and provision of infrastructure and services.

Establish a hierarchy of urban settlements as part of the regional settlement strategy that recognises the
opportunities and constraints for economic and population growth.

Ensure the growth of settlements is aligned with the provision of social and physical infrastructure and
supports the settlement strategy.

Ensure protection for the Region’s high value natural assets, cultural heritage, agricultural land,
landscapes, natural resources, open space and recreation areas.
Northern Tasmania has a unique natural environment. It is recognised nationally and internationally for its
beauty, biodiversity, and natural resources. It is also the source of much of our wealth. Caring for our natural
environment and using our resources in the most sustainable way is critical to our future wellbeing.
Closely related to sustainability is resilience, defined as capacity to respond to shock. Resilience for a
geographic area refers to its capacity to respond to sudden, challenging environmental, economic or social
changes. A region is resilient if it can either withstand such changes without seeing a fall in standard of living or
if it can quickly recover from those events.
Industries that rely directly on the natural environment make up a significant component of the Northern
Tasmanian economy. Many are small businesses, serviced by local suppliers, and employing locally. The
farming, fishing, forestry, tourism and other natural environment based sectors have significant scope for
expansion and innovation and are the focus of many government and community initiatives.
The regional planning process must consider the development needs of these sectors and ensure that future
planning schemes make provision for the necessary infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. The goals of
sustainability and resilience will require us to:

develop a consistent approach to the assessment of environmental impacts, such that future development
will not be distorted by varying priorities in decision-making;

ensure that climate change and energy use are considered in all spatial planning decisions concerning, for
example, transport, housing, water supply and waste management;

facilitate the development and use of renewable energy, including assessing areas for opportunities; and
provide strategic support for the construction of renewable energy infrastructure; and

identify areas of high agricultural production, including current and proposed irrigation areas, and provide
strategic support for future increases in production.
Page 25
Strategic Direction 8
Recognise and respond the Region’s unique environment by achieving the following strategy
objectives:
a.
Protect sensitive landforms and ecosystems, including coastal landforms and karst;
b.
Manage impacts of natural hazards including salinity, areas of land instability, acid sulphate soils, bushfireprone areas, flood-prone areas and contaminated sites;
c.
Promote regionally significant open space and outdoor recreational opportunities;
d.
Allow opportunities for renewable energy production including wind, geothermal, tidal, and wave energy;
e.
Protect the future capacity of our natural resource base including productive soils, minerals, hard rock and
significant forest assets;
f.
Protect and enhance water quality including significant wetlands and waterways;
g.
Protect and manage available agricultural land for sustainable productive use and values.
h.
Preserve and protect areas of natural environmental significance, particularly:
areas of biodiversity value, particularly important flora and fauna communities including threatened
species;
ii.
lands including coastal areas sensitive to climate change, tidal and storm surges, raising sea levels and
other natural hazards (i.e. acid sulphate soils, bushfire and flooding, etc.) and
iii.
regionally significant open space, visual (scenic) landscape amenity areas and outdoor recreation
reserves.
i.
Strategic Direction 9
Develop planning scheme provisions to advance sustainability development, adapt to and mitigate
the impacts of climate change and reduce energy emissions by achieving the following objectives.
Building Design, Reuse and Recycling
Increase the energy efficiency of new development in line with national building design codes, standards
and world class best practices;
a.
Provide strategic support and incentives for the reuse of old buildings and other redevelopment in
preference to green field development.
b.
Identify known or foreseeable impacts of climate change such as sea level rises, flood risk and land
stability and adopting a precautionary approach to the location of new development.
Environmental Management (Air and Water)
a.
Identify and control pollutants being emitting to sensitive receiving waters and pollutants to air to reduce
CO₂ (carbon dioxide) and other ‘greenhouse’ gas emissions;
b.
Encourage reduced water consumption and use (conservation measures and practices) and promoting
innovative water collection practices, reuse and/or recycling measures;
Page 26
c.
Implement and secure sustainable urban drainage systems such as water sensitive urban design (WSUD)
practices.
Integrated Sustainable Transport Design
a.
Encourage access by means other than private car, and creating opportunity and infrastructure for
sustainable transport.
b.
Ensure that residential and freight transport and travel demands are central concerns in the location of
new development.
c.
Ensure full consideration is given to creating and securing opportunities for sustainable transport
initiatives such as improved access to walking, cycling, and public and freight transport networks.
Renewable/Alternative Energy
Encourage future renewable energy such as wind, tidal, geothermal and hydro generation and ensure that
these natural resources are recognised and preserved for their potential development.
a. Through planning schemes, to provide strategic support for the construction of renewable energy
infrastructure.
Page 27
2.6
Goal 4 and Strategic Directions
 Goal 4: Provide strategic and transparent leadership that support inter-governmental
cooperative governance structures to integrated strategic land use systems to achieve
specific regional planning goals, objectives and policies pertaining to the regional land use
strategy.
To be achieved:

Implement regional planning governance structures between regional local, State and Federal
governments to deliver integrated land use planning, economic development and infrastructure provision
across the Region.

Ensure investors, infrastructure providers, the community and decision makers have a clearly defined
regional land use planning strategy within which to make decisions.

Support public participation in understanding and participating in the planning process.
Strategic Direction 10
Increase Regional Leadership by achieving the following objectives.
a.
Adopt and implement best practice governance structures to prove strategic and innovative leadership
within communities.
b.
Engage with communities to help develop forward-looking visions and community confidence and
acceptability of change, which are factors that both create and reflect productive, liveable and sustainable
communities.
Page 28
3. Part C – Regional Planning Land Use Categories
3.1
Purpose
The purpose of this section is to define three key regional planning land use categories that provide the spatial
framework for the region to achieve the desired regional outcomes. This part identifies the following key
elements:
 regional planning land use categories;
 land that can accommodate urban development to 2031 namely within urban growth boundary areas;
 land that is protected from further urban development; and
 relevant regional planning principles, strategies and actions pertaining to these land uses.
The regional planning land uses helps to align regional infrastructure and transport systems with urban and
economic activity areas to ensure an efficient use and appropriate standard of infrastructure provision and
transport service. These three broad land use categories provide the spatial context as planning statute under
RLUS.
This section provides the framework for the application of broad regional land use planning categories to the
relevant zoning designations under the 2011 interim planning schemes, which reflect the Planning Directive
No.1 – The Format and Structure of Planning Schemes.
The strategy allocates all land into one of three regional planning land use categories as follows:
 Urban Growth Boundary Areas;
 Rural (Agricultural), Natural Productive Resources and Rural Living Area, and;
 Natural Environmental Area.
3.2
Regional Overview
The Region’s land use categories are created by well-defined spatial separation of urban and rural and
environmental land uses. Rural uses are defined by agricultural land uses (cropping, grazing, dairy, plantation
forestry, horticulture, etc.), whilst environmental land uses may include native bushland, and various natural
landform features and natural scenic regional landscape areas. This separation of land uses gives the Region a
distinct physical and visual amenity and character, which assists to define a limit to the region’s urban
settlements.
The region’s three key land uses can clearly define the extent of urban development, and specifically
encourage the containment of growth to established urban areas to increase the sustainability of these
settlements in terms of population, but also the level of services and infrastructure they provide to the
community.
Within the urban growth boundaries greater clarity of the settlement types within the region can be given that
give support to a wide range of regional policies contained in Part D, such as Regional Settlement Network,
Regional Activity Centre Network and Regional Economic and Employment (e.g. Industrial Areas and Activity
Centres), supported by the suite of other regional policies and spatial maps.
Clarity of future development intensity and scale in terms of land use functions within the established regional
settlement hierarchy will provide certainty to future development investment and planning decisions to
ensure productive, sustainable and liveable communities now and into the future.
The regional settlement hierarchy will be achieved by containing urban development into areas that are
reflected in the relevant planning scheme land use zones. This creates benefits such as being able to plan and
efficiently provide infrastructure and services. The uncontrolled spread of urban settlements can lead to social
isolation, the loss of productive farmland or natural ecosystems and costly infrastructure and service provision.
Page 29
The hard edge of the urban growth boundary is to be managed with an appropriate graduation of land uses
and activities associated with urban development to provide a transition of urban activities between the
surrounding non-urban areas that form the remaining major regional land use categories. This will ultimately
be achieved through zoning within the planning schemes to establishing clear graduation of land uses between
urban land, rural land, natural resources areas and environmental and open areas.
As such, the transition between the regions lands use categories the integrity to the zoning system within
planning schemes and the associated provisions. The graduation between the hard edges of the boundaries
between these major land use categories is to be further articulated in the relevant planning scheme to guide
appropriate form of land uses and activities within allocated zones. As such the zoning is to achieve the intent,
strategic objectives / and regional policies of the regional land use categories.
3.3
Urban Growth Boundary Areas
3.3.1 Strategy Intent
Urban Growth Boundary Areas (UGBA) defines the extent of urban development to 2032 by using cadastral or
other clearly defined boundaries. The urban boundary focuses urban growth in locations that:

provide reliable and effective transportation choices or otherwise reduce car use, particularly for infill and
redevelopment in and around existing urban centres, and along public transport corridors;

physically connect to existing communities wherever possible, or otherwise provide new development
with direct transport linkages to established urban areas early in the development;

promote cohesive communities that support a wide range of services and facilities;

include or have access to existing or planned activity centres; and

exclude rural living and environmental living areas.
The region’s urban settlements are contained within the Urban Growth Boundary Areas. Settlement types are
defined by the settlement hierarchy (Part D) based upon the level of services, namely the role and function
they provide to their community. Low density residential areas such as rural living and environmental not
included within the UGBAs as they are controlled separately under this strategy.
Urban Growth Boundary Areas should accommodate at least a 10 year and up to a 20 year supply of land for
urban development purposes based upon population, housing and employment projections and reasonable
assumptions about future growth. Where possible intense urban land use activities should be located centrally
within settlements and be supported by integrated municipal strategic plans and localised structure plans to
deliver essential infrastructure and other services to support the urban settlement type.
Urban Growth Boundary Areas are intended to broadly identify land that can meet the region’s urban
development needs to 2032 in a sustainable form to reflect the projected population growth in a well
contained urban form. It represents land that is already developed for a wide range of urban purposes or is
intended to be developed for such purposes. The regional planning land use categories will represent all
proposed zoning to support the urban development of the region under the proposed new interim Planning
Schemes being prepared for the region.
3.4
Implementation of the UGBA
Regional Planning Principles
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1.
Urban Growth Boundary Areas will manage, rather than accommodate, regional urban growth. Urban
growth boundary areas set the context to achieving a sustainable pattern of development that is
consistent with the strategic directions and regional policies set out in the regional strategy.
2.
Urban Growth Boundary Areas should accommodate the region’s urban development needs to 2032
based on population, housing and employment projections, and reasonable assumptions about future
growth.
Strategies
1.
Opportunities for increasing the capacity of the existing Urban Growth Boundary Areas should be given
higher priority than expanding the Urban Growth Boundary Areas, and it should only be expanded if there
is insufficient capacity to accommodate the planned distribution of regional growth in individual areas.
2.
Economic opportunities in rural settlements should be accommodated where there is adequate or
planned infrastructure to service the development and where the development will not prejudice orderly
planning of the locality.
3.
Minor adjustments should be made to include land in or remove land from the Urban Growth Boundary
Areas to reflect change circumstances including new or better information, to correct existing anomalies
or to recognise constraints.
4.
Areas to be considered for inclusion in the Urban Growth Boundary Areas should:
 be physically suitable;
 exclude areas with an unacceptable risk of natural hazards including predicted impacts of climate
change;
 exclude areas with significant biodiversity values be appropriately separated from incompatible land
uses;
 be either a logical expansion of an existing urban area, or of sufficient size to support the efficient
provision of social and economic infrastructure.
5.
New Urban Growth Boundary Areas should be located to:
 achieve a balanced settlement pattern across the region and sub-regions over the planning period;
 maintain a well-planned region of distinct cities, towns and villages;
 maintain the integrity of ‘intra-regional’ open space green breaks;
 minimise impacts on natural resources;
 maximise the use of committed and planned major transport and water and sewerage infrastructure;
 enable the efficient provision of physical and social infrastructure, including public transport;
 have ready access to services and employment;
 ensure significant non-residential activities achieve specific locational, infrastructure and site
requirements.
3.5
Development outside the Urban Growth Boundary Areas
The RLUS acknowledges that at times additional growth locations may exist subject to the further detailed
planning investigations particularly to support significant regional employment and industrial development
opportunities in the longer term. These additional growth areas maybe identified within the time horizon of
this strategy to deal with longer term land supply requirements for industrial and residential development.
As such, consideration of any future urban development in the Region before 2032 will only occur in
exceptional circumstances and where further investigations address the Urban Growth Boundary Area
principles and strategies and are supported by relevant studies identified in the relevant actions.
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3.6
Regional Rural, Natural Productive Resources and Rural Living Areas
The intent of these broad regional land use category is protect significant high value productive rural land and
primary industries and the sustainable development and use of natural resources (aquaculture, timber, mining,
etc.) and the nearby/adjacent lands required for the processing of these resources. The area also includes
water catchments, water storages and groundwater resources, opportunities for non-agricultural activities
such as tourism.
The land use category also provides for Rural and Environmental Living land and regional rural landscapes and
non-urban (environmental) values that provide a transition of land uses to the more intense urban areas
contained within the Urban Growth Boundary Areas. This category also forms the regions significant natural
environmental areas.
The transition from this land use area to that of the Urban Growth Boundary Area and natural environmental
area should consist of a graduation of land uses and activities to reflect a scale of development that allows for
adequate buffering and separation distances to protect the integrity and intent of the land use area and to
manage / mitigate any potential land use conflicts.
The future of rural areas in the region depends on sustainable and diverse rural industries, reliable and
efficient water resource management, and flexible and responsive rural land use planning. The emerging
opportunities from policy developments in natural resource management, such as biodiversity protection,
ecosystem services, carbon trading and ‘green’ energy production, highlight the need for a systematic
approach to rural land use planning and management.
This approach includes:









recognising the importance of agricultural land and industries near major population centres as a key
determinant of future food costs and liveability;
preventing inappropriate fragmentation of rural land;
improving infrastructure and investment opportunities for agriculture;
protecting farming operations from conflict with rural/environmental living residents;
enabling rural industries to diversify, adjust, innovate and value-add;
identifying preferred future uses of unproductive lands, recognising that some forms of agricultural
production are not necessarily constrained by soil type or fertility
assisting local government to protect and enhance productive rural lands and their associated
environmental and landscape values;
maintaining benefits to the community that are derived from the natural environment;
constraining the expansion of rural and environmental living areas.
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3.6.1 Rural and Natural Productive Resource Lands
These lands include resource rich lands to be included in the Rural Resource Zone consisting of productive,
potentially available agricultural land. Residential opportunities for an associated rural workforce to house and
support sustainable agricultural working farms, families and employers that are directly employed within the
productive agricultural rural lands, natural resource and environmental (non-urban) landscaped areas. It
protects this land from inappropriate development, particularly from urban development including large lot
(low and very low density) rural and environmental living development.
3.7
Rural and Environmental Living Areas
Rural Living and Environmental Living areas will continue to support opportunities for residential use on large
allotments in preferred locations within the Rural Living and Environmental Living zones. These areas are an
important tool to counter residential demands on land with valuable agricultural potential and other primary
industry areas by providing options for lifestyle preferences.
The Rural Living Zone will provide rural residential opportunities within a rural landscape, while the
Environmental Living Zone will be used to provide for rural residential opportunities in locations with
environmental and landscape values that are to be protected.
Rural Living and Environmental Living zones will initially reflect land use patterns of established rural
residential areas based on application of an objective methodology across the region. Thus, lands that may
have been subject to a range of low density, rural residential, village or even rural zones will be identified
based on existing land use patterns that are predominantly rural residential in character.
An established rural residential area is described as:
Land that has no real potential for efficient or practical agricultural or rural resource use on a
commercial basis where the land use pattern is characterised by:
 predominantly residential land use i.e. lifestyle blocks, hobby farms or low density
residential subdivisions; and
 fragmentation of the cadastral base and property ownership; and may also include
 topographical constraint resulting in physical impediments to rural resource use or
connectivity, which may include bio-diversity protection and/or conservation.
Ultimately, the process will require local analysis to determine the established rural residential areas, including
consideration of the on ground realities that affect and restrict farming operations and other primary
industries.
After the initial identification of established rural residential areas, additional supply will be provided
for through intensification within these areas where they align with sustainability criteria. Where
growth is proposed outside of the ‘established rural residential area’ it must be demonstrated that
this is a preferable alternative that better meets the objectives for sustainability under LUPAA.
Comparative analysis of historical residential development information indicates that there is ongoing demand
for rural residential use. Strategic growth will divert pressure from productive resource development uses,
minimise future land use conflict and maximising infrastructure efficiencies while appropriately providing for
rural living and environmental living options.
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To do this, a range of matters must be balanced including:


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








impact on the agricultural and environmental values of the land and surrounding areas;
proximity to existing settlements containing social services;
improving land use efficiency by consolidating gaps in established rural residential land use
patterns;
access to road infrastructure with capacity;
onsite waste water system suitability;
consideration of the impact on natural values or the potential land use limitations as a result of
natural values;
minimising impacts on agricultural land and land conversion;
impacts on water resources required for agricultural and environmental purposes;
consideration of natural hazard management;
existing supply within the region;
potential for future requirement for the land for urban purposes; and
the ability to achieve positive environmental outcomes through the rezoning.
Subdivision options will therefore be controlled and respond to the criteria for sustainability and the context of
individual localities, based on strategic preference.
Land that is suitable for agriculture or other primary industry activities will be directed to the Rural Resource
Zone.
3.8
Other Non-rural / agricultural uses
Within this land use area there are non-agricultural activities and land uses suitable to be developed on land
that is non-productive viable prime rural lands. This may include a range of secondary uses such as tourist
operations, tourist accommodation, eco-resorts which seek out locations in the within this rural land use area.
Some of these uses are attached to existing farm operations which could be given priority through a permitted
assessment process whilst isolated developments would be required to be assessed through a discretionary
assessment process.
3.9
Implementation of Regional Rural, Natural Productive Resources and Rural Living Area
Regional Planning Principles
1.
Conserve and manage rural areas to enhance their contribution to the regional economy, rural industries
and regional rural landscape values.
2.
Support Rural and Environmental Living areas in appropriately located areas where it does not fragment
productive rural land.
3.
Ensure Rural Communities benefit from regional growth, and participate fully in the planning and
development of the region.
4.
Provide and maintain appropriate levels of infrastructure and services to Rural and Environmental Living
areas.
5.
Recognise that the Furneaux Group of Islands are more reliant on local strategies for Rural and
Environmental Living areas, and the protection of agricultural land that respond to the complexities of
remote area economics.
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6.
Accommodate the required growth of rural villages through the planning scheme revision process.
Strategies
1.
Consolidate future rural population growth within existing rural settlements and Rural and Environmental
Living areas. Ensure Rural and Environmental Living areas are generally constrained to existing areas and
do not fragment productive rural land.
2.
Ensure land use and water management policies and regulations do not unreasonably constrain the
development of agriculture, agribusiness, and appropriate ecotourism and recreation opportunities in
rural areas.
3.
Protect quality agricultural land from incompatible development and provide for the expansion of
agricultural production.
4.
Recognise Rural and Environmental Living development as a legitimate residential lifestyle subject to
appropriate location criteria.
5.
In areas of high development suitability the clustering of residences, development envelopes and asset
protection zones is encouraged in order to protect those areas of lower development suitability.
6.
Identify and protect natural productive (mineral) resources from inappropriate development.
7.
Allow consideration of secondary or non-agricultural land uses where water quality, scenic rural
landscapes, agricultural activities and the natural environment are not adversely affected and the strategic
purpose of rural zoning is not undermined, and if possible where the land is in close proximity to an
existing settlement.
3.10
Regional Natural Environmental Area
Northern Tasmania is one of Australia’s unique and pristine biodiversity areas and is renowned for the quality
and diversity of its natural environment, which includes some distinctive features:
 rich and diverse native flora and fauna;
 a dynamic coastline and marine waters — open coastline including rocky foreshores, reefs, headlands and
pristine beaches;
 spectacular forested mountain ranges and peaks, including Ben Lomond National Park;
 freshwater wetlands, waterways and floodplains, and
 good air and water quality.
People value the combination of diverse and culturally significant landscapes that shape the region’s economy,
culture, liveability and lifestyles. This quality and diversity of the region’s landscapes are major reasons for
migration into and within the region. To remain attractive and functional, the regional landscape must
continue to support values such as biodiversity, rural production, scenic amenity, landscape heritage and
outdoor recreation.
Regional landscape values occur in urban, semi-urban and rural areas. Communities across the region
recognise that these values influence the character and quality of the places where they choose to live, work
and play. Regional sustainability and prosperity require understanding and careful management of the
interdependencies between people, urban, semi-urban and rural land uses, and regional landscape values. For
example, the regional landscape is being increasingly used to locate major infrastructure that services growing
urban communities.
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Regional planning must help to ensure regional landscape values are resilient to pressures population growth,
infrastructure development, known climate variability and future climate change. Planning for resilience
requires a better understanding of the current state of landscape values, as well as how to maintain and
enhance the capacity of the regional landscape to deliver ecosystem services to all communities in the region.
This requires programs that prioritise where, when and how investment can be most effectively targeted to
restore and maintain landscape values.
The intent of this broad land use category is to support environmental significant conservation areas, regional
significant landscape and open space areas that include outdoor recreation areas, forests and reserves. It
supports the regional significant biodiversity areas including ecosystems that are endangered, threatened or
vulnerable (of concern). It includes land with one or more of the following natural values:

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

World heritage areas, national parks, conservation areas, parks and forest, game, nature and state
reserves - including significant fauna habitat;
Cultural and landscape heritage values (Indigenous and non-Indigenous);
Native Forests;
Coastal wetlands including RAMSAR wetlands; and
Land that forms strategic and regionally significant inter-urban breaks and corridors, particularly for
critical habitat for fauna movements and intra-regional open space connections and outdoor recreation
areas.
3.10.1 Implementation of the Regional Natural Environment Area
Regional Planning Principles
1.
Protect, manage and enhance the region’s biodiversity values and associated ecosystem services and
maximise the resilience of ecosystems to the impacts of climate change.
2.
Protect, manage and enhance the multiple values of the regional landscape and optimise the contribution
these values make to the region’s liveability, health, lifestyle and economy.
Strategies
1.
Within biodiversity networks, protect significant biodiversity values, improve ecological connectivity,
enhance habitat extent and condition, and rehabilitate degraded areas.
2.
Optimise biodiversity conservation outcomes by locating environmental (and carbon) offsets within
identified biodiversity networks and other suitable areas, giving a high priority to the protection or
rehabilitation of significant biodiversity values.
3.
Plan, design and manage development, infrastructure and activities to protect, manage and enhance
regional landscape values.
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4. Part D - Regional Planning Policies
This part sets out the desired regional outcomes for the region namely:

Planning directions / principles necessary to achieve those outcomes;

Specific policies to be applied to guide state and local government planning processes and decisionmaking; and

Specific regional planning projects and programs to be action and initiated further and implemented over
the life of the plan.

It will be supported by Regional Policy Mapping to spatially reflect support Regional Planning
Policies/Statements or Directions on the following:
Regional policies set out the desired regional outcomes, principles, policies and actions required to address
growth and management of the region. For each desired regional outcome, a set of principles is identified to
achieve the outcome.
The principles and policies guide state and local government in the formulation of their own policies as they
are the cornerstones to the correct functioning of the RLUS.
The desired regional outcomes are an integrated and holistic set, with no intended priority. They appear
under the following headings:
1.
Regional Settlement Network
2.
Regional Activity Centre Network
3.
Regional Infrastructure Network
4.
Regional Economic Development
5.
Social Infrastructure and Community
6.
Regional Environment
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4.1
Regional Settlement Network
Desired regional outcome
Reinforce Urban Growth Boundary Areas with an efficient urban settlement pattern
strategy to ensure sustainable use of land across the region that:


consolidates the roles of the greater Launceston urban area and the surrounding
sub-regional urban centres;
creates well-planned communities, supported by an activity centre network that
gives people good access public transport and links residential areas to employment
locations.
Regional Principles
1.
Support growth in established urban settlement areas and redevelopment in and around existing urban
centres, activity centres, and key public transit networks.
2.
Ensure new urban development areas are contiguous with existing communities wherever possible, or
otherwise provide development with direct transport linkages to established urban areas early in the
development.
3.
Ensure physical and social infrastructure can be adequately funded and delivered before permitting
development of new development areas.
4.
Proponents of new development within the Region must demonstrate how required infrastructure and
services are to be provided for new land to be developed within the Urban Growth Boundary Areas along
with how current state and local government infrastructure delivery programs will be delivered and
funded.
5.
Accommodate regional growth in locations to support public transport and other sustainable transport
choices or otherwise reduce car use.
The nature of the future settlements across the region will be crucial to determine and address a wider range
of regional planning and development policies within the RLUS. Specifically the regional settlement network
seeks to:
1.
Ensure urban development conserves land by making the most efficient use of land allocated within the
Urban Growth Boundary Areas.
2.
Reinforce the containment of urban development within the Urban Growth Boundary Areas by which the
role of a wider range of land uses and regional planning policies takes effect.
This to achieve a balance between population growth, economic development opportunities and
environmental sustainability and more specifically contain the future form of urban development to address a
wider range of regional issues – which include:
- travel behaviour and the demands upon the transport system;
- the location and capacity of the physical infrastructure;
- demand for social infrastructure and services;
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managing impacts upon the natural environment and its values, including mitigating or adapting to the
risks of natural hazards and resilience to climate change; and
the capacity to accommodate a growing and ageing population.
Regional planning policies must reflect the diverse nature, type, role and function of settlements within the
region and the changing population and housing needs. The function, type and distribution of urban
settlements also relates to issues of employment and industrial land provision that is integrated with the
infrastructure and transport networks required for the region’s future development.
As such, the key overall regional planning strategy is to confirm a clear hierarchy of settlements to which
various settlement types and associated land uses contribute to the ongoing viability of the region’s
productivity, liveability and sustainability.
The reason for developing this network is to define the purpose of settlements in a way that establishes a
strong linkage between overall development of the region and the alignment of the development of land-use
policy and zoning provisions within LGA’s planning schemes. Over time as the region develops future land use
and settlement scenarios that can be assessed to demonstrate the need for broader policy intervention to
complement the RLUS and revise it accordingly.
Future settlements will be developed within the Urban Growth Areas established in Part C of the RLUS; as such
urban development outside this area will be restricted. Where additional land supply is demonstrated to be
required within the life of the RLUS, such new development areas will be identified for early investigation to
provide additional land supply in areas within the Urban Growth Areas, adjacent or proximate to existing
infrastructure networks.
Additional land could be required for future industrial and residential land within the life of this RLUS, subject
to more detailed assessment at the regional level. This is potentially the case for future employment and
industrial land for the region within the 20 year time horizon. The demand for such land is subject to current
investigations by the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and the Arts (DEDTA) through to the
year 2040.
4.1.1 Regional Overview
Urban settlements (namely its population growth and residential development in various housing forms and
densities) vary and respond to environmental, economic and social changes, as such land use strategies and
planning provisions around settlements must ensure sustainable patterns of land use and development to
reflect these changes.
The population of Northern Tasmania is dispersed over the region creating distinct settlement patterns. The
density of residential settlement patterns, particularly within more built up settlement is low, with less than 10
dwellings per hectare. Part of this settlement pattern has moved outward into the rural and regional landscape
areas of the region. This pattern can become unsustainable and threaten the natural environment, landscape
and regional ecosystems including highly valued agricultural land. Some of the region’s workforce travel
further for work outside their sub-region/LGA which places pressure on the transport network, and can reduce
liveability factors for these people and the wider community.
To response to these changes, the RLUS concentrates growth within the Urban Growth Boundary Areas around
existing settlements. Containing urban growth pressures will preserve the region’s landscape, open spaces and
productive agricultural and rural lands, and provide significant environmental quality and health benefits.
There is also a commitment to preserving land for nature conservation and public recreation. The RLUS seeks
a balance between urban and non-urban development by creating a sustainable settlement pattern with
supporting activity centres, employment areas (industrial and agricultural areas) with an infrastructure and
transport network that seeks to achieve an efficient use of land and investment into infrastructure.
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Consolidating urban settlements allows new road and public transport connections to be made in a timely and
cost-effective manner, reducing reliance on private vehicle travel in new communities. New communities
should be designed as attractive, walkable neighbourhoods that support community life. New residential
development Areas, regional activity centres and other suitable established urban areas, are the focus for
accommodating regional dwelling and employment targets, and will accommodate projected growth to 2032.
Public transport plays a fundamental role in region’s liveability and sustainable development and is supported
by consolidating the future urban form. The RLUS encourages the containment of urban development pattern
by reinforcing regional activity centres at strategic locations to connect with an integrated public transport
network. This reduces the need for travel and provides transport alternatives to private car use.
Providing mixed land uses is another important factor in creating better places to live. Placing a mix of uses in
close proximity makes alternatives to driving— such as walking or cycling—more viable. This also creates a
more diverse and sizable population, and a commercial base to support viable public transport. Transit
oriented communities have mixed uses at key public transport stops, such as bus stations and interchanges, to
create quality lifestyle alternatives for residents.
Provision of diverse housing options should include consideration of the costs of access to employment,
facilities and services. Changing household demographics, including an ageing population and more diverse
households, are increasing the demand for wider housing choice in the region. The RLUS provides housing
choices for all residents such as a single bedroom apartment, new unit, or traditional suburban detached
home. In this way, diverse housing choices help provide affordable housing and can also mitigate the
environmental costs of car-dependent development, use infrastructure resources more efficiently, and ensure
a better jobs-to-housing balance to achieve greater self-containment.
The Furneaux Group
While the region can generally be categorised into a settlement and activity centre hierarchy, this system
recognises and responds to the interactions that take place throughout the region that are not reflected in the
Furneaux Group. Due to the isolated function of the islands, the demands placed on settlement and activity
centres (and the relationship with lifestyle land use patterns) are different to the typical functions of other
levels of settlement. As such, planning for the islands and the creation of demand to support economic
objectives for population retention visitation is dependent on local strategy.
4.2
Regional Settlement Hierarchy
The settlement hierarchy is designed to classify the function of settlements in a way that establishes a strong
linkage between broad policy development, the regional development plan and specific area land-use plans.
This categorisation structure creates a direct linkage between the settlement and its contribution or purpose
(function) helping to align the development of land-use policy, zoning and conditions together with other
development policy and strategy tools available to local government to achieve broader strategic objectives.
The characteristics of the different hierarchical settlement types across the Northern region are described
below.
Table: Regional Settlement Hierarchy
Settlement Type
Regional
Centres
Activity
Regional City
Description
Comprises the Greater Launceston Urban Area.
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Principal Regional Activity
Centre
Provides the central business district level functions to
the region with high levels of administrative,
government, and business, commercial, financial and
retail services, supported by a modern and vibrant
regional arts, cultural, entertainment and recreational
facilities set with a strong built cultural heritage and
history.
Major Regional Activity
Centres
Suburban Centre
Neighbourhood Centre
Specialist Centres
Other Centres
It contains regional significant education, health and
allied health facilities that support the needs of the
region and those people that visit.
Utility Infrastructure
Facilities and Services
Full provision of utilities and urban infrastructure
serviced by regional freight, road, rail and air
transportation networks
A full range of services as provided through the
Regional Activity Centres Network.
Satellite Settlements
Description
Dormitory settlements to, but physically divorced
from the Greater Launceston Urban Area. Provide an
extensive urban area with key urban centre functions
to the sub-regional LGA level and services the area
with local retail, commercial, and community service
functions.
Full provision of utilities and urban infrastructure
serviced by regional freight routes and road networks.
See Activity Centres Network:
Neighbourhood or Town
Centres
Regional Service Centres
Utility Infrastructure
Significant regional settlement areas where residents
of and visitors to the region can access a wide range
of services, education and employment opportunities,
although employment is strongly related to
surrounding productive resources. Important centres
to surrounding sub-region.
Reticulated water, sewerage and electricity.
Facilities and Services
See Activity Centre Network
Utility Infrastructure
Facilities and Services
District Centres
Description
Rural Towns
Description
Utility Infrastructure
Facilities and Services
Larger townships providing lower order administrative
and commercial functions for sub-regions where
distances to major urban areas make regular travel
difficult. Important centres for surrounding district.
May have reticulated water, sewerage and electricity.
See Activity Centre Network
Neighbourhood or Town
Centres
Predominantly residential settlements with a small
often mixed use centre that provides for basic services
and daily needs.
May have reticulated water, sewerage and electricity.
As a minimum, may have a local convenience shop,
newsagent/post office agency, community hall.
Local or Minor Centre
Residential settlements with limited or no services
and commercial activity in a defined spatial area.
Often holiday settlements that have more recently
established a more permanent population. A grouping
of residential properties at lower densities with no
established centre or not within a clearly defined
n/a
Rural Villages
Description
Utility Infrastructure
Facilities and Services
Rural Localities
Description
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Utility Infrastructure
Facilities and Services
spatial area. Typically many Rural Living residential
areas.
Electricity
May have local convenience shop or community hall.
Regional City
Launceston City is the regional city of Northern Tasmania. It forms part of a larger area to be referred to as the
Greater Launceston Urban Area (GLUA). The GLUA is one of the top 18 largest urban settlements in Australia
and is a significant concentration of economic activity that is of a scale significant on a regional basis, with a
strong focus upon the provision of the large proportion of the region’s population, housing and employment.
Launceston City with its central business district and core inner and outer suburbs, such as Mowbray-Newham,
Kings Meadows, Prospect, St Leonards and Youngtown, is the largest source of external income and has great
economic and productivity value to generate future economic and social developments, particularly around its
major employment areas. It attracts workers from outside due to the presence of state and regional facilities
and infrastructure such as the University of Tasmania, Launceston General Hospital, and other major
educational, commercial, financial and business sectors.
Satellite Settlements
The satellite settlements are within proximity to the Greater Launceston Urban Area and provide a dormitory
function to the regional city, whilst maintaining distinct settlement boundaries. These settlements include
Legana, Hadspen, Perth and Evandale and provide for a rich mixture of land uses, including locations for
residential housing for a significant proportion of the region’s workforce, associated industrial areas and
localised employment opportunities. The settlements are supported by a wide range of local community,
retail, business and commercial functions. As key regional urban areas they will deliver services to their
surrounding area as they are subject to substantial change and growth pressures.
Regional Districts
These Regional Districts are urbanised settlements that provide a high concentration of businesses that
provide support services for local enterprise and are characterised by highly localised employment – they have
a local (internal) skills capacity that matches needs resulting in a high proportion of the local workforce
working locally. In addition the centres generate significant local amenity through their profile of commercial,
education, health and community services and networks; complemented by physical infrastructure.
These settlements are set within a production agricultural environment that provide a mix of business and
production services to support this provide, often these towns will also be based on natural and/or built
amenity and heritage. These settlements have diverse populations with a range of social economic groups and
include regional settlements within commuting distance of the Greater Launceston Urban Area, which offer
the expectation of growth and economic prosperity and development.
These settlements are often based on an original grid pattern (e.g., Scottsdale, St Helens and Deloraine) and
adapted to the landform. They contain a core commercial area and have centrally and conveniently located
community spaces and public areas. They offer a range of services and facilities including transport
infrastructure, employment generating uses, education, sporting and health facilities, churches and
administrative offices.
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Rural Towns and Villages
Rural Towns and smaller Rural Villages specialise and complement each other based on better use of local
infrastructure and driven by improved local services. Many of these local communities will be empowered by
high-speed broadband connections and improved transport services. Such settlements are small scale
residential and service centres that service a local area and depending on location, passing visitors. They
reflect both relatively small scale and limited scope of service. Some have seen the location of a sub-regional
facility such as a district school and/or multi-purpose health centre and aged care facility, which in
combination acts as an attractor, provides a wider local focus and supports a range of retail services.
Places such as Bridport, Greens Beach, Cressy, Carrick, Hagley, Ross, St Marys and Fingal are generally typified
by their location on flat land backing onto a river, the coast or along a major historic route or as a result of an
historic use such as mining (i.e. St Marys). Often many heritage buildings remain intact and in some locations
streets and precincts retain their original buildings and parks. The street pattern is often a large grid with wide
streets, with many having mature trees and wide parking bays. The main street usually has a high level of
pedestrian amenity and the buildings are usually consistent in bulk and form.
Rural and Environmental Living Areas
Rural and Environmental Living areas are scattered throughout the region with some being located on the
coast and along the Tamar River. Some are isolated and are often accessible by only one road. They offer few
facilities and may include a general store. They often have strong visual links to the river, the sea or the natural
environment. Native vegetation often abuts the boundaries. The layout relates to the topography, the
foreshore and other unique natural features and are characterised by informal, sometimes unmade streets.
Residences are often scattered and there is no particular subdivision pattern. There is no large scale tourist,
commercial, residential or retail developments within these settlements.
Table: Northern Tasmanian Settlements
Regional Location
Regional Settlement Type
Greater Launceston Urban Area
Launceston City
Prospect Vale
Riverside
Regional City that includes the suburbs of Launceston City (LGA), Prospect Vale
(Meander Valley LGA) and Riverside (West Tamar LGA). Inclusive of Principal
Activity Centre, Major Activity, Specialist and Neighbourhood Centres
Launceston (C) - Inner
Launceston (C) - Pt B
West Tamar (M) - Pt A
Meander Valley (M) - Pt A
Satellite Settlements
Hadspen
Evandale
Perth
Meander Valley (M) - Pt A
West Tamar (M) - Pt A
Northern Midlands (M) - Pt B
District Centres
Longford
Northern Midlands (M) - Pt A
Central North
Rural Towns
Lilydale
Launceston (C) - Pt C (Located within
Launceston LGA)
Page 43
Deloraine
District Centres
Meander Valley (M) - Pt B
Westbury
Rural Towns
Meander Valley (M) - Pt B
Campbell Town
District Centre
Northern Midlands (M) - Pt B
George Town (inclusive of Bell Bay
and Low Head)
District Centres
George Town (M) - Pt A
Balance of George Town
Rural Villages / Rural and Environmental Living
George Town (M) - Pt B
Balance of Launceston (C) – Pt C
Rural and Environmental Living
Launceston (C) Pt C
Beaconsfield
Exeter
District Centre
George Town Pt A
Beauty Point
Rural Town
West Tamar (M) – Pt A
Ross
Avoca
Cressy
Rural Villages
Northern Midlands (M) - Pt B
Bracknell
Carrick
Chudleigh
Meander
Mole Creek
Hagley
Rural Villages
Meander Valley (M) - Pt B
North East
Break O'Day (M)
St Helens (including Stieglitz, St
Helens Point)
District Centre
St Marys
Rural Town
Fingal
Rural Village
Scamander
Rural Village
Balance Areas
Rural and Environmental Living
Dorset (M)
Scottsdale
Regional District Centre
Bridport
Rural Town
Page 44
Derby
Rural Village
Balance Areas
Rural and Environmental Living
Flinders (M)
Whitemark
Lady Barron
District Centre
Rural Town
Balance Areas
Rural and Environmental Living
4.3
Future Settlement Strategies
Greater Launceston Urban Area
The Greater Launceston Urban Area (as shown in the map below) is the dominant population centre and major
employment /economic driver within the region and is defined in the Figure below. It provides the prime
commercial, education, social and recreation activities within the region, as such it is important to make
integrated planning and infrastructure investment decisions in accordance with National Urban Policy planning
reforms.
Under these broad planning reforms there is a need to create a strategic planning system for the regional city
that includes long, medium and near term integrated land use and infrastructure plans and projects.
Specifically it will need to demonstrate how the major regional city addresses and links to nationally-significant
policy issues, strengthen the networks between capital cities and other important domestic and international
connections and provide for planned, sequence and evidence based land release for residential (infill and
greenfield) and industrial development.
This planning should include the following elements:









major new residential, business and industrial growth areas;
appropriate re-development of ‘brownfield’ sites;
regional scale open space and recreation;
securing the area around key facilities such as the airport for future business and industrial expansion;
the alignment of major planned arterial road routes;
major new infrastructure investments in water, sewer and drainage;
major hospital, education and other community facilities expansion;
major new infill housing opportunities, and
major residential and commercial redevelopment of inner areas - such as the area between the CBD and
the North Esk River frontage.
Page 45
Page 46
4.4
Future Population Growth and Housing (Dwellings) Demand
Northern Tasmania is experiencing declining household size with smaller families and increases in single
person households. The population is ageing, with the greater proportion of the elderly being single or
widowed. This will lead to a falling demand for traditional three to four bedroom family homes and increased
demand for smaller, more manageable dwellings, as well as retirement accommodation and aged care
facilities.
There is likely to be a future increased demand for alternative forms of housing such as multiple units, smaller
houses, supported housing, and affordable housing such as granny flats and other ancillary accommodation.
Population numbers have been relatively stable over the past 5 years with incremental growth. Population
change however will not occur uniformly in all centres; rather, a pattern of uneven internal regional
adjustment and distribution is envisaged, with some municipal areas growing whilst others will possibly lose
population.
The municipal areas of Launceston, Meander Valley, Northern Midlands and West Tamar are expected to
experience growth.
Estimated Resident Population (ERP) June 2010
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Estimated Resident Population (ERP) for Local Government Areas was
released 31 March 2011 and it was estimated in June 2010 there was 142 311 people in Northern Tasmania.
This figure is up from the 2006 ERP of 138 702 and the 2006 Census population of around 134 000.
At the present time (June 2010), of the estimated current population of 106,153 persons in the Greater
Launceston statistical area:

approximately 80,480 people, or about 76 per cent of the population of the greater urban area is
concentrated around Launceston and its contiguous suburbs;

approximately 12,000 people live in communities and towns along the west side of the Tamar River and in
a corridor extending through to Hadspen and Carrick, west of Launceston;

approximately 5,830 persons reside in the urban locality of George Town; and

a further 8,000 people live in the part of the Northern Midlands municipality that lies within the Greater
urban area (principally in the urban communities of Perth, Longford and Evandale).
Page 47
Page 48
Table: ERP June 2010 - ABS
STATISTICAL DIVISION (SD),
Change
Statistical Subdivision and
2010p
20052010p(a)
2009r-2010p
Area
Population
density 2010
Statistical Local Area
no.
%
no.
%
km2
persons/km2
George Town (M) - Pt A
5831
0.6
61
1.1
104.4
55.8
Launceston (C) - Inner
255
-0.4
2
0.8
0.4
666.8
Launceston (C) - Pt B
62728
0.5
278
0.4
236.1
265.7
Meander Valley (M) - Pt A
8923
1.4
78
0.9
28.6
312.4
Northern Midlands (M) - Pt
A
West Tamar (M) - Pt A
8007
0.7
68
0.9
139.7
57.3
20409
1.0
221
1.1
293.6
69.5
Total Greater Launceston
106153
0.7
708
0.7
802.8
132.2
George Town (M) - Pt B
1061
0.0
1
0.1
548.2
1.9
Launceston (C) - Pt C
2843
-0.2
-2
-0.1
1175.2
2.4
Meander Valley (M) - Pt B
10771
0.6
69
0.6
3297.0
3.3
Northern Midlands (M) - Pt
B
West Tamar (M) - Pt B
4647
0.1
-16
-0.3
4989.2
0.9
2067
1.5
32
1.6
396.6
5.2
Total Central North
21389
0.4
84
0.4
10406.0
2.1
Break O'Day (M)
6514
1.0
104
1.6
3520.8
1.9
Dorset (M)
7355
0.2
-22
-0.3
3223.4
2.3
Flinders (M)
900
-0.4
3
0.3
1994.5
0.5
Total North Eastern
14769
0.5
85
0.6
8738.7
1.7
142 311
0.6
877
0.6
19947.6
7.1
Greater Launceston
Central North
North Eastern
Total Northern
Source: Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2009-10 (cat. no. 3218.0)
Estimated resident populations (ERPs) are official estimates of the Australian population, which link people to
a place of usual residence within Australia. Usual residence is that place where each person has lived or
intends to live for six months or more from the reference date for data collection. Estimates of the resident
population are based on census counts by place of usual residence (excluding short-term overseas visitors in
Australia), with an allowance for net census undercount, to which are added the number of Australian
residents estimated to have been temporarily overseas at the time of the census.
Population estimates for Australia and the states and territories are updated by adding to the estimated
population at the beginning of each period the components of natural increase (births minus deaths, on a
usual residence basis) and net overseas migration. For the states and territories, account is also taken of
estimated interstate movements involving a change of usual residence. After each census, estimates for the
Page 49
preceding intercensal period are finalised by incorporating an additional adjustment (intercensal discrepancy)
to ensure that the difference between the ERPs at the two respective census dates agrees with the total
intercensal change.
Australian Bureau of Statistics
3218.0 Regional Population Growth, Australia
Estimated Resident Population, Local Government Areas, Tasmania
ERP at 30
June
Change
2001
2005
2009r
2010p
20052010p(a)
2009r2010p
no.
no.
no.
no.
%
no.
%
Break O'Day (M)
5781
6183
6410
6514
1.0
104
1.6
Dorset (M)
7339
7283
7377
7355
0.2
-22
-0.3
Flinders (M)
887
917
897
900
-0.4
3
0.3
George Town (M)
6491
6719
6830
6892
0.5
62
0.9
Launceston (C)
62335
64432
65548
65826
0.4
278
0.4
Meander Valley (M)
18066
18813
19547
19694
0.9
147
0.8
Northern
(M)
11926
12356
12602
12654
0.5
52
0.4
West Tamar (M)
20290
21340
22223
22476
1.0
253
1.1
Total Northern
135116
140048
141434
142311
Local
Area
Government
Midlands
Source: Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2009-10 (cat. no. 3218.0)
2032 Population Projections – NRLUS Estimates
Using the following methods the region is projected to have approximately 164 000 people by 2032, based
on the Estimated Resident Population (ERPs) by the ABS. Estimated Resident Populations produced by the
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) have shown generally modest positive population growth rates in
Northern Tasmania. Projecting the population percentage (%) change over the 2005-2010 and the 2009-10
periods yields the following results.
ABS ERP – Population Projections: Based on Percentage Change 2005-2010
2010p
20052010p(a)
Local Government
Area
no.
% Change
2010
2015
2020
2025
2030
2032
Break O'Day (M)
6514
1.0
6514
6846
7196
7563
7948
8108
Dorset (M)
7355
0.2
7355
7429
7503
7579
7655
7686
Flinders (M)
900
-0.4
900
882
865
847
831
824
George Town (M)
6892
0.5
6892
7066
7244
7427
7615
7691
Page 50
Launceston (C)
65826
0.4
65826
67153
68507
69888
71297
71869
Meander Valley (M)
19694
0.9
19694
20596
21540
22527
23559
23985
Northern Midlands
(M)
12654
0.5
12654
12974
13301
13637
13981
14122
West Tamar (M)
22476
1.0
22476
23623
24827
26094
27425
27976
Total Northern
142311
142311
148584
153004
157587
162341
164292
ABS ERP – Population Projections: Based on Percentage Change 2009-2010
2010p
Change
2009r2010p
Local Government
Area
no.
%
2010
2015
2020
2025
2030
2032
Break O'Day (M)
6514
1.6
6514
7052
7635
8265
8948
9237
Dorset (M)
7355
-0.3
7355
7429
7503
7579
7655
7686
Flinders (M)
900
0.3
900
914
927
941
956
961
George Town (M)
6892
0.9
6892
7208
7538
7883
8245
8394
Launceston (C)
65826
0.4
65826
67153
68507
69888
71297
71869
Meander Valley (M)
19694
0.8
19694
20494
21327
22194
23096
23467
Northern Midlands
(M)
12654
0.4
12654
12909
13169
13435
13706
13816
West Tamar (M)
22476
1.1
22476
23740
25074
26484
27973
28592
Total Northern
142311
142311
148914
153702
158695
163905
166053
Explanatory Notes: 3218.0 Regional Population Growth, Australia. This publication contains estimates of the resident population of
Statistical Local Areas, Statistical Subdivisions, Statistical Divisions and states and territories of Australia for June 30 of each year from 2001
to 2010, according to the 2010 edition of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC). Estimates for 2001 to 2006 are final,
estimates for 2007 to 2009 are revised (r) and estimates for 2010 are preliminary (p).
It should be noted that the Demographic Change Advisory Council (DCAC) of Tasmania results have not been
found to be accurate in terms of the distribution of population across the region and as such were not adopted
by this strategy.
Given the uncertainty in the region’s population it is important that dwelling targets be revised regularly based
upon updated ABS data and housing/land supply data.
Housing (Dwelling) Supply and Demand
During the 1996 – 2006 period the number of private dwellings increased at a faster rate than for Tasmania
and the Northern Region in Meander Valley (M) – Pt A, West Tamar (M) – Pt A and B, Northern Midlands (M)
Pt A and Break O’Day (M). The size of households has generally been declining with the mean household size in
Tasmania and the Northern Region is 2.4 person. West Tamar (M) Pt B has remained stable at 2.9 – 3.0 person.
The lowest mean household size was in Break O’ Day (M) and Flinders Island (M) at 2.1 – 2.2 persons.
Although projected population increases are low the housing occupancy rates, in line with National and State
projections, are projected to fall to approximately 2.0 persons per dwelling by 2026. The other trend is that
Page 51
with the population aging there will be an increase in multiple dwellings with a likely increase in housing
densities in some older residential areas especially where there is redevelopment.
The proportion of new dwellings will be built within specific greenfield developments where the average
household size is likely to be higher, with some infill residential housing opportunities in established residential
areas more specifically to cater for a greater mix of dwelling types such as multiple dwellings.
The following two tables illustrates that the main housing growth has been in Launceston, Meander Valley and
West Tamar, the latter two LGAs being related to the contiguous urban area that is Greater Launceston.
Table: Historic New Dwelling Approvals by LGA – End June
New Dwellings
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
Break O’ Day 51
72
64
Dorset
George Town
Flinders
Launceston
Meander Valley
Northern
Midlands
West Tamar
Total Region
2009-10
63
2010-11
51
19
54
12
268
92
43
28
39
8
220
107
70
30
60
2
233
114
65
27
43
10
246
84
113
30
22
16
245
66
78
131
670
165
709
195
763
197
783
165
673
Source: ABS: 8731.0 - Building Approvals, Australia, May 2011 and 1379.0.55.001 - National Regional Profile, 2005 to 2009.
Page 52
Table: Dwelling Approvals: Houses and Other 2008 – 2011
LGA
Dwelling Types
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
Houses
Other
Houses
Other
Houses
Other
Launceston City
159
72
162
84
113
100
Meander Valley
69%
103
31%
8
66%
64
34%
20
53%
55
47%
11
Northern Midlands
59
4
90
21
66
12
West Tamar
151
43
161
35
101
64
George Town
41
19
24
19
22
0
Break O’Day
56
8
63
0
51
0
Dorset
30
0
27
0
30
0
Flinders
2
0
10
0
16
0
Region Total
601
154
601
179
454
187
79.5%
20.5%
77%
23%
71%
29%
405
146
418
173
298
183
73.5%
26.5%
70.7%
29.3%
62%
38%
Greater Launceston
Source: ABS: 8731.0 - Building Approvals, Australia, May 2011 and 1379.0.55.001 - National Regional Profile, 2005 to 2009.
Supply
Over the last 5 years of dwellings approved the average number of dwellings approved was about 720
dwellings per annum (p.a.) which does not keep match the 1 000 p.a. increase in the region’s population in the
last three years. Extrapolating this p.a. average forward to the 2032 planning horizon creates around 15 200
dwellings, which, based on this level of building activity, there should be an adequate supply of dwellings to
meet the expected projected population and dwellings required as envisaged by the RLUS.
Demand
Based on the ABS ERP population projections based on Percentage Change 2009-2010 it is estimated 9,890
dwellings are required by 2032. This figure increases to approximately 11,870 dwellings if the Australian
Bureau of Statistics (ABS) projected 2026 average household occupancy size falls to approximately 2.0 persons.
Required Additional Residential Dwellings
The RLUS envisages that the projected 10,000 additional dwellings required to be provided across the region
be based on the preferred settlement pattern principles of:
 promoting infill in existing centres;
 redeveloping ‘infrastructure-rich’ areas; and
 maximising residential yield in major new residential developments.
Page 53
A detailed residential development strategy and housing needs assessment review will need to be undertaken
to determine if the Urban Growth Boundary Areas have the capacity to accommodate these additional
dwellings.
Demand and supply for dwellings within each sub-region will be subject to significant fluctuations within the
life of the plan a regularly monitoring program will inform the state government each year on land delivery
and supply. This will help to determine if regional and sub-regional land supply is responding to demand, and
where actions are required to assist in delivery.
4.5
Dwelling Diversity: Mix, Types and Densities
With a net increase of up to 23,740 people by 2032 the region will need to accommodate up to 10,000 new
dwellings. The mixture of housing between detached houses and multiple dwellings and density is likely to
move towards a greater percentage proportion to smaller houses, and multiple dwellings, with an average
smaller household size.
It is envisaged by the RLUS that the dwelling mix between detached houses and other, specifically multiple
dwellings i.e. townhouses and duplexes (1 and 2 storeys in building height), and medium and high density
apartments (3 storeys or above in building height) will change over time to allow for a diversity of house
choices and types in strategic located areas across the region, such as within the Launceston CBD and inner
city areas, and close to employment areas such as Regional Activity Centres.
ABS dwelling approvals statistics for the last three years shows a significant focus on detached housing
approvals, in the year to May 2011. The split between detached house approvals and ‘other residential
buildings’ was 71% to houses and 29% to ‘other’ for the region as a whole and 62% to houses and 38% to
‘other’ for the greater Launceston statistical area, with Launceston City recording a 53% to houses and 47% to
‘other’. The data for the last three years to May 2011 does indicate a clear trend towards an increase in the
proportion of other residential buildings approvals (i.e. multiple dwellings) to detached houses.
Within higher growth areas, it is envisaged new dwellings will be constructed across a 50%-50% split between
new greenfield sites and established infill field areas, and achieve the same split between dwelling types, 50%
detached housing and 50% multiple dwellings and units. In some instances such as Launceston City LGA it may
vary between a 40% new / ‘greenfield’ to 60% infill, and a similar split between dwelling types, 40% detached
housing and 60% multiple dwellings and units.
A more detailed housing needs assessment study will be required to confirmed the dwelling requirements and
dwelling yield potential within the established urban growth boundary area for the Region during the next
iteration of the RLUS. As dwelling targets are reviewed and determined more specific finer grain planning by
each municipality is required to demonstrate how it will accommodate the dwelling requirements within its
own LGA. Such finer grain planning includes structure and master plans for key urban activity centres, urban
transport corridors, and local area precinct planning within established areas to identify infill residential
development opportunities and detailed master planning of new growth areas – such as greenfield sites within
the Region.
It is likely the average household size in the Northern region will decline to an average of 2.0 across the area by
2026 in line with ABS Household Projections, which is in the life time of this strategy plan. In this time the
average household size will vary across the region and LGAs, the size will be generally proportional to the type
of dwelling type being delivered across the region.
It is assumed that in the moderate growth areas within the Greater Launceston Urban Area – this household
size figure could be high as 2.3. The figure could drop to 2.0 in Launceston City where there will be over time a
tendency towards more multi-unit dwellings in the future, to cater for single (lone), childless coupled and
coupled with single children households. This will have an impact on the dwelling numbers ultimately. This
needs to be subject to a more detailed assessment as part of future iterations of this strategy.
Page 54
4.6
Dwellings and Settlement Densities
It is envisaged by the RLUS that the dwelling densities will increase from existing average densities across the
region, but specifically within the Greater Launceston Urban Area and high to low moderate growth areas. This
is likely to be achieved by provision of a greater mixture of dwelling types located in strategic locations that
give people a greater variety of housing choice specifically to suit their household size requirements, namely to
cater for changing demographics (aged population, single lone households, etc.) and the overall ABS projected
decrease in the average size of the Tasmanian household to 2.0 to 2.1 persons by 2026.
As a guide to dwelling densities across the North the following table indicates increases of dwelling densities
in order of an average of 15 dwellings per hectare across the region
Table: Indicative Residential Types, Housing Density and Urban Design Outcomes
Residential Types, Housing Density Explanation
Type and Outcomes
High Density
Urban Design Outcomes
Housing consists of multi-story apartment buildings of
three or more storeys in building height. It may include
duplexes or townhouses.
The preferred built form developed will be determined
on the best response to specific site features and urban
design standards that achieve the minimum density
levels specified, and maximises residential amenity.
Approximate Gross Density
Net Density
Lot Size
Suitable Locations
Possible PD 1
Zoning
Inner
Zone
Residential
Urban Mixed Use
Zone
More detailed structure or precinct plans may guide
preferred development outcomes developed as part of a
master planning process.
Greater than 25 dwellings per hectare and up to 40
dwellings per hectare in specific locations such as within
Activity Centres and walkable catchment of them.
Greater than 35 dwellings per hectare on sites devoted
to housing only.
Site specific.
High density residential developments are located within
established urban areas that have high access to
facilities and services, including public transport and
open spaces associated with urban centres, particularly
Activity Centres, or within defined Activity Centres or
part of transit oriented developments along public
transport routes with high frequency services or around
transit stations (e.g. public bus interchange)
Medium Density
Urban Design Outcomes
Built form consists of a mixture of multiple dwellings
either duplexes, townhouses and multi-story apartment
buildings of three or more storeys in building height.
Inner
Zone
Residential
Urban Mixed Use
Zone
Approximate Gross Density
Approximate Net Density
Lot Size
More detailed structure or precinct plans may guide
preferred development outcomes developed as part of a
master planning process.
12 – 25 dwellings per hectare
15 – 35 dwellings per hectare
Minimum of 400 m2. Density can be achieved through
building multiple dwellings on larger lots.
Page 55
Village Zone
Suitable Locations
Medium density developments are located in
established settlement areas, particularly within inner or
middle suburbs of Launceston, including in proximity to
urban centres of regional rural centres. Similar to high
density residential developments it has good access to
facilities, services, public transport and open space.
Suburban
Urban Design Outcomes
Opportunities for a mixture of dwelling types is provided
both in the form of traditional detached houses but also
multiple dwellings either duplexes, townhouses up to 2
storeys in building height.
General
Residential Zone
Village Zone
Suburban densities are to achieve sustainable allotment
sizes to reduce suburban sprawl on the outer fringes of
urban settlements, reduce cost of servicing of land and
create more affordable houses and increase housing
choices and types.
Approximate Gross Density
Lot Size
Suitable Locations
More detailed structure or precinct plans may guide
preferred development outcomes developed as part of a
master planning process.
10 to 15 dwellings per hectare
Minimum of 400 m2 up to 1 600m2 for detached
housing, small lot housing or otherwise.
Minimum of 1,200m2 for multiple dwellings.
Generally greenfield sites within the regions Urban
Growth Boundary Areas as part of containing urban
growth and consolidating housing around established
settlements, such as urban centres, including regional or
rural towns.
Low-Density
Urban Design Outcomes
Low density housing that consists of predominantly
detached housing may form a transition to Rural Living
residential areas.
Approximate Gross Density
Lot Size
Suitable Locations
3- 5 dwellings per hectare
From 1 600 m2 to 10 000m2

Locations include outer/fringe areas with close
proximity to a minimum settlement size of 500
serviced by rural town centre offering basic facilities
and services.

Areas in these locations with existing low density
residential characteristics.
Low
Density
Residential Zone
Rural Living
Urban Design Outcomes
Approximate Gross Density
Lot Size
Very large lot subdivision that consists of predominantly
detached housing set within a rural landscape setting
that forms a transition to the Rural Resource Zone
areas.
It should have the ability to sustain some local
convenience shop or community facility such as a hall.
n/a
Existing land use patterns: No minimum lot size
Rural Living:
Minimum 1 hectare. Larger lots may be required by:

Environmental constraints

Local context
Page 56
Rural Living Zone
Suitable Locations



Access to services
Regional and Local policy
Any relevant Local Area Statements.

Areas characterised by an established rural
residential land use pattern.
Strategically located areas that are not of
agricultural value

.
Environmental Living
Urban Design Outcomes
Approximate Gross Density
Lot Size
Suitable Locations
Very large lot subdivision that consists of predominantly
detached housing set within a rural setting with
environmental or landscape values.
Environmental
Living Zone
It should have the ability to sustain some local
convenience shop or community facility such as a hall.
n/a
Existing land use patterns: No minimum lot size
Environmental Living:
Minimum 1 hectare
Lots must be larger where it is required to achieve:

Protection of environmental and landscape values

Regional and local policy

Any relevant Local Area Statements.


Areas with an existing rural residential land use
pattern and subject to conservation covenants.
Lots with biodiversity values that can provide a
buffer between rural agricultural and resource uses,
and State parks.
Affordable Housing
According to the research literature, there are increasing housing affordability problems in Australia for low
and moderate income groups. In many surveys, Australia faces some of the worst affordability problems in the
developed world. Since the start of the 1990s, property prices have increased faster than wages, entry to
home ownership is hard for many groups and there are shortages of affordably priced rental accommodation.
‘Affordability’ is normally measured as a relationship between household income and expenditure on housing
costs. Around 15% of Australian households pay over 30% of income on housing costs (defined as being in
‘stress’). Of households in the lowest 40% of income earners, 28% are in stress. More problems are faced by
lower income renters in the private sector (65% in stress), than lower income purchasers (49% in stress).
Housing stress has increased over the last decade even though incomes have risen.
The land use planning system can play a role in assisting the delivery of new housing, thereby addressing
mismatches between housing supply and demand. It can also help promote greater housing diversity in terms
of size of units, location and price point. However, it should be recognised that the solution to affordable
housing involves a range of factors, many of which are beyond the scope of land use planning.
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4.7
Regional Policies and Actions
Policy
Regional Settlement Networks
Actions
RSN-P1 Urban settlements are contained within the
identified Urban Growth Boundary Areas, which is a tool to
manage rather than accommodate growth. No new discrete
settlements are allowed and opportunity for expansion will
be restricted to locations where there is a demonstrated
housing need, particularly where spare infrastructure
capacity exists, namely water supply and sewerage.
RSN-A1 Ensure there is an adequate supply of residential
land that is well located and serviced and can meet
projected demand. Land owners/developers are provided
with the details about how development should occur
through local settlement strategies, structure plans and
planning schemes. Plans are to be prepared in accordance
with principles outlined in the RLUS, land capability,
infrastructure capacity and demand.
RSN –A2 Ensure that the zoning of land provides the
flexibility to appropriately reflect the nature of the
settlement or precincts within a settlement and the ability
to restructure underutilised land.
RSN-P2 Ensure existing settlements can support local and
regional economies, concentrate investment in the
improvement of services and infrastructure and enhance
the quality of life in those urban and rural settlements.
RSN-P3 Recognise the isolated relationship of the Furneaux
Group of islands to the settlement system of the region,
and that settlement and activity centre planning will be
dependent on local strategies to support sustainable
outcomes.
RSN-A3 Ensure the long term future supply of urban
residential land matches existing and planned infrastructure
capacity being delivered by Ben Lomond Water, specifically
in parallel with existing water and sewerage capacity and
required augmentation to meet urban development growth
and capacity – both residential and industrial.
RSN-A4 Ensure a diverse housing choice that is affordable
and accessible in the right locations reflecting the changes
in the population and its composition, especially ageing
populations and single lone persons and to enable people
to remain within their communities as their housing needs
change, including ageing in home options.
RSN-A5 Encourage urban residential expansion in-andaround the region’s activity centre network to maximise
proximity to employment, services and the use of existing
infrastructure, including supporting greater public transport
use and services.
RSN-A6 Ensure all Rural and Environmental Living occurs
outside the urban growth boundary areas.
RSN-A7 Identify

areas with existing mixed land use patterns; and/or

brownfield areas;
adjacent to activity centres for mixed use redevelopment,
and ensure that the zoning provides flexibility for uses that
support the activity centre and the role of the settlement.
Housing Dwellings and Densities
RSN-P4 Provide a framework for planning new and
upgraded infrastructure and facilities for the growing and
ageing population and provide housing choice through a
range and mix of dwelling types, size and locations in new
residential developments.
RSN-P5 Encourage a higher proportion of growth at high
and medium residential densities that maximises
infrastructure capacity through a diverse mixture of
dwelling types, with an increasing proportion of multiple
dwellings through consolidation of infill and redevelopment
RSN-A8 Undertake a detailed dwelling yield analysis for the
whole region.
RSN-A9 Ensure planning schemes zoning provisions allow
for higher proportion of the region’s growth to occur in
suitably zoned and serviced areas specifically for a diverse
range and types of multiple dwellings. This is to be achieved
namely within the Urban Mixed Use, Inner Residential and
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areas across the region’s urban growth boundary area to
meet the required dwelling demands for the region.
General Residential Zones.
RSN-P6 Focus higher density residential and mixed-use
development in and around regional activity centres and
public transport nodes and corridors.
RSN-P7 Include in new development areas a diversity of
land uses, employment opportunities and housing types at
densities that support walkable communities, shorter
vehicle trips and efficient public transport services.
RSN-A10 Ensure that settlement boundaries are clearly
identified at the local level for all significant activity centres.
RSN-A11 Ensure planning schemes provide detailed
planning provisions to encourage well-designed new urban
communities.
RSN-A12 Apply the Urban Mixed Use Zone to areas within
or adjacent to Activity Centres that are appropriate for a
mix of uses, including higher density residential
development.
Integrated Land Use and Transport
RSN-P8 Ensure new development utilises existing
infrastructure or can be provided with timely transport
infrastructure, community services and employment.
RSN-P9 Apply transit oriented development principles and
practices to the planning and development of transit nodes,
having regard for local circumstances and character.
RSN-P10 Plan new public transport routes, facilities and
high-frequency services to ensure safe and convenient
passenger accessibility, and support the interrelationship
between land use and transport.
RSN-P11 Undertake land use and transport planning
concurrently and sequence development with timely
infrastructure provision.
RSN-P12 Connect active transport routes to improve
accessibility and encourage transport use by a broader
range of people.
RSN-P13 Manage car parking provision in regional activity
centres and high-capacity transport nodes to support
walking, cycling and public transport accessibility.
RSN-14 Ensure all new development within walking
distance of a transit node or regional activity centre
maximises pedestrian amenity, connectivity and safety.
RSN-A13 Prioritise amendments to planning schemes to
support new urban growth areas and re-development sites
with access to existing or planned transport infrastructure
namely to support delivery of transit oriented development
outcomes in activity centres and identified transit nodes
(i.e. bus interchanges) on priority transit corridors.
RSN-A14 The strategy will be further informed by the 2012
Northern Integrated Transport Plan. Future iterations of the
strategy are to ensure planning schemes provide
appropriate zoning patterns and supporting land use
activities with regard to:

identification of transport demands and infrastructure
required;

protection of key transport corridors from
incompatible land uses, and

creation of sustainable land use patterns that
maximise efficient use of all future transportation
modes i.e. road/rail, freight routes (including land and
sea ports), and public transport, pedestrian and cyclists
networks.
RSN-A15 Promote the region’s Activity Centres network as
multi-functional mixed use areas that provide a focus for
integrating higher residential development outcomes,
delivering of social and community facilities and services,
and public transport provision.
Residential Design
RSN-P15 Ensure that new development and redevelopment
in established urban areas reinforce the strengths and
individual character of the urban area in which the
development occurs.
RSN-P16 Ensure quality residential design that is sensitive
to, and complements, the historic character and lifestyle of
the Region’s towns and enhances residential amenity;
RSN-A16 Adopt and/or apply within infill and higher
residential density areas any medium density guidelines
developed by the State.
Specifically this will guide future planning scheme
provisions for multiple dwellings for with a specific focus on
infill redevelopment opportunities within the Greater
Launceston Urban Area.
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RSN-P17 Ensure all development and appropriate
infrastructure, such as public facilities including bus
interchanges incorporate urban design principles, including
orientation, siting and passive climate control.
RSN-17 Develop and support a master plan for the
Launceston CBD (being the CAD and inner city core areas as
defined by the Launceston City Council planning scheme) to
confirm and position the future strategic planning of the
city as the Principal Activity Centre for Northern Tasmania.
RSN-P18 Achieve high quality design outcomes for all new
prominent buildings and public spaces in the Launceston
central business district, regional activity centres and transit
communities.
RSN-P19 Provide accessible and high-quality public open
space in all new greenfield and infill development areas by
creating well-designed public places.
Housing Affordability
RSN-20 Provide a variety of housing options to meet diverse
community needs, and achieve housing choice and
affordability.
RSN-18 Review the community needs with respect to
housing provision and affordability.
Rural and Environmental Living Development
RSN-P21 Rural and environmental lifestyle opportunities
will be provided outside urban areas.
RSN-P22 Rural and environmental lifestyle opportunities
will reflect established rural residential areas.
RSN-P23 Growth opportunities will be provided in
strategically preferred locations for rural living and
environmental living based on sustainability criteria and will
limit further fragmentation of rural lands.
RSN-P24 Growth opportunities for rural living and
environmental living will maximise the efficiency of existing
services and infrastructure.
RSN-P24 Recognise that the Furneaux Group of islands are
more reliant on local strategies for Rural and Environmental
Living areas and the protection of agricultural land that
respond to the complexities of remote area economics and
the need to retain or increase population and visitation.
RSN-A19 Rural living land use patterns will be identified
based on a predominance of residential use on large lots in
rural settings with limited service capacity that are outside
urban areas.
RSN-A20 Planning schemes should prioritise the
consolidation of established rural residential areas over the
creation of new rural residential areas.
RSN-A21 Target growth to preferred areas based on local
strategy and consolidation of existing land use patterns.
RSN-A22 Planning scheme provisions must specifically
enable subdivision opportunity to preferred areas by setting
minimum lot sizes based on locality.
RSN-A23 Ensure future locations of the Rural Living zone
will not require extension of the Urban Growth Boundary
Areas, compromise productivity of agricultural lands and
natural productive resources.
RSN-A24 Ensure future locations of the Environmental
Living zone do not compromise environmental values.
RSN-A25 Consolidation and growth of rural living and
environmental living areas is to be directed to areas
identified in local strategy, that align with the following
criteria (where relevant):

proximity to existing settlements containing social
services;

access to road infrastructure with capacity;

onsite waste water system suitability;

consideration of the impact on natural values or the
potential land use limitations as a result of natural
values;

minimising impacts on agricultural land and land
conversion;
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




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minimising impacts on water supply required for
agricultural and environmental purposes;
consideration of natural hazard management;
existing supply within the region;
potential for future requirement for the land for urban
purposes; and
the ability to achieve positive environmental outcomes
through the rezoning.
4.8
Regional Activity Centres Network
Desired Regional Outcome
Develop and reinforce an attractive, sustainable and vibrant Regional Activity Centre network
to support sustainable urban settlements and communities. Regional activity centres will be
well designed urban places as specific locations for employment, infill housing, retail,
commercial and community facilities with good access to high-frequency transit such as bus
interchanges and bus route corridors.
Regional Principle
1.
Strengthen the Region’s capacity to deliver high order government, community, commercial and private
sector services and facilities to support a network of strategically located regional activity centres.
Regional Overview
Growth and expansion for regional retail and commercial activity centres are aligned to current and future
population growth. Activity centres provide the focus for services, employment and social interaction in the
urban areas. They also serve as community meeting places, centres for community and government services,
locations for employment and education, leisure and entertainment, recreation facilities and high density
residential housing.
Within the region there is a hierarchy of activity centres which provide regional, sub regional and local
functions. The RLUS promotes the development of multi-functional accessible activity centres. This approach
can assist in:
 Focusing the delivery of key community services;
 Facilitating agglomeration economies for business and industry;
 Assisting in reducing private vehicle travel, provides focal point for public transport services (bus
interchanges and corridor routes) and facilitates the use of non-motorised transport (walking and cycling);
 Enabling a more efficient and equitable use of resources and infrastructure;
 Providing a centre around which housing opportunities can be strategically planned, and;
 Enhancing the viability and vibrancy and viability of centres and the surrounding urban environment.
Within the region the prime regional functions are provided by the Launceston CBD and this fact is recognised
in the Strategy.
The ability of all people in all communities across the northern Tasmanian region and the whole of northern
Tasmania to access major services and facilities is dependent on the strength of Launceston as a major
national and state regional service centre and hierarchy of other activity centres what reflect the settlement
hierarchy.
While Launceston will provide the base for major regional scale services and facilities, there is a critical need to
establish an agreed network of centres across the whole region where communities can be assured of being
able to access a range of key facilities and services. Every effort should be made across the whole region to
ensure the provision and retention of local facilities and services.
An approach that targets a coordinated agreed and limited number of key strategic locations across the region,
because they can service the communities in their area, is the best approach to retain critical services and
facilities. The network of key rural service centres should comprise a limited number of strategically located
towns that can be relatively convenient and widely accessible places.
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Accessibility of Employment
Accessibility of suitable employment is a contributing factor to liveability, and in relocation decisions for those
in the labour force. It is therefore fundamental that the RLUS to improve access to employment for existing
and future residential communities within the Region to achieve greater sustainable development in
particularly job self-containment across the region closer to the regions urban and rural residential
settlements.
Improving upon sustainability indicator measures such as Journey to Work (JTW) figures will assist with
improved and more efficient land use, transport and infrastructure planning decisions including investment.
This will lead to greater sustainable development outcomes such as reduce reliance upon private motor
vehicle and/or time spent travelling to work both in distances and time. The role of regional activity centres
existing and future industrial lands is crucial to address access to employment and greater job selfcontainment within existing LGA sub-regions.
The proportion of working residents of each Statistical Local Area (SLA) who worked in another SLA in 2006
showed that the more remote SLAs of Flinders (M), Break O’Day (M) and Dorset (M) had the lowest proportion
of less than 10% working in another SLA, so around 90% of working residents worked in the same SLA.
The highest proportion of working residents who worked in another SLA was:
 80 - 90% in West Tamar (M) – Pt B, followed by;
 70 - 80% in other SLAs close to Launceston such as West Tamar (M) – Pt A, Meander Valley (M) – Pt A,
Northern Midlands (M) – Pt A, Launceston (C) – Pt C and George Town (M) – Pt B.
A small proportion of working residents in these SLAs worked locally in their SLA of residence. For SLAs which
had the highest proportion of working residents working in another SLA – the majority work in the other more
populated SLAs clustered around the Tamar, including Launceston (C)–Inner + Pt B. For example, most
commuters from West Tamar (M) – Pt B are travelling to work in Launceston (C) – Inner + Pt B and West Tamar
(M) – Pt A.
Data for workers that commute from Northern SLAs and other regions in Tasmania show that from the
Southern region, the Northern region has a slight net gain of workers but net losses to Greater Hobart and
Mersey-Lyell. Most commuters who travel from other regions work in Launceston (C) – Inner + Pt B, with a
large number of workers also commuting between Mersey-Lyell and Meander Valley (M) – Pt B, due to their
close proximity.
The 2006 ABS JTW data demonstrates the primacy of Launceston City LGA as a major source of regional
employment and economic development opportunities and the limited number alternative employment areas
elsewhere, particularly in parts of the Greater Launceston Urban Area. The lack of local job provision within
LGA’s outside of Launceston City is a spatial pattern than can be changed through better provision of industrial
and employment lands closer to where existing and future population growth will occur.
4.8.1 Regional Activity Centre Network
Regional activity centres are accessible locations that have concentrated businesses, services and facilities for
employment, research and education, as well as higher density residential development serving a regional
population. The RLUS proposes a strong network of regional activity centres connected by quality public
transport to create compact, self-contained and diverse communities. Regional activity centres are also a key
land use element to create an efficient public transport system.
To achieve these objectives, regional activity centres need to be more than retail and service providers.
Regional activity centres can attract high-end creative and knowledge based businesses, and advanced
business services.
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To create regional economic activity and generate local jobs, regional activity centres must provide attractive,
quality and affordable premises for small businesses and for creative, knowledge-based and new technology
businesses. They should also provide opportunities to expand home-based businesses into commercial
premises.
The regional activity centres network encourages centres that:
 create economic growth by co-locating a mix of land uses;
 concentrate goods and services more efficiently;
 provide appropriate locations for government investment in public transport, health, education, cultural
and entertainment facilities;
 provide a focus for community and social interaction;
 encourage multi-purpose trips and shorter travel distances to reduce demand for private travel;
 integrate land use and transport to support walking, cycling and public transport; and
 accommodate higher density residential development, employment and trip-generating activities.
The purpose of the activities centre network is support the region’s activity centres as places of mix land uses
and activities to support the settlement population they support. The regional activity centre network
supports the key function and role of such places as Launceston City which is the principal regional activity
centre, and its surrounding greater urban area that extend into parts of West Tamar and Meander Valley
municipalities together with the urban localities of the George Town and Northern Midlands municipalities.
It is proposed to implement a regional activity network to support the order of a wide range of land uses and
activities consistent with the role and function of the centre as described in the hierarchy. The nature of the
activity centre relates generally to the size of the urban settlement type that it is located within.
The planning of these activity centres should be relative to its function and role (including over time the
residential growth within its primary and secondary catchments) the availability of land, ease of pedestrian
movements, ability to integrate increased housing and residential densities within its walking catchments and
improving linkages with public transport provision.
Table: Regional Activity Centre Hierarchy
Principal Activity Centre (PAC)
Role
Employment
Land Uses
Commercial and Retail
Government and Community
Launceston CAD – includes CBD and inner core frame
areas (refer to Launceston City Planning Scheme)
The primary hub for Northern Tasmania, the region and the
Greater Launceston urban area in terms of business,
government administration, leisure, entertainment and
tourism services providing a comprehensive range of
services and facilities including public transport. A
significant proportion of all employment opportunities
within the region is currently and should continue to be
focussed in the Principal Activity Centre. Providing high
level of public amenity and quality urban design in both
building design and provision of public spaces.
Highest concentration of employment for the region, with a
diversity of employment across business and industrial
sectors.
Primary location for offices, including corporate
headquarters,
professional
services,
government
administration. Regional shopping facilities including major
department stores with high level of speciality shops,
secondary retailing and a focus on the ‘high street’
shopping experience. Should include at least one major
supermarket/food market. Bulky good retailing may be
accommodated at the fringe.
Regional and State facilities for the State and Federal
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Residential
Arts, Cultural and Entertainment
Access
Public Open Spaces
Indicative Catchment
Government. Education facilities including prominent
tertiary education facilities, cultural based facilities i.e.
State Library and Museum), University of Tasmania, Major
Health Care facilities including Launceston General Hospital
and a wide range of medical practitioners including GPs,
specialists and research facilities and community services
(including child care centres to support its high
concentration of employment). All other services expected
in the Principal Activity Centres. Urban public spaces as
focus of community facilities and events.
Higher density residential development in centre utilising
innovative housing solutions such as business/shop-top
arrangements should be complemented by infill and
consolidation of surrounding residential areas and along
main transport corridors at higher net densities (40+
dwellings per hectare).
A range of dining and entertainment uses including nighttime activities and major cultural facilities for the region.
Central node for public transport and radial road network.
A range of civic public open spaces including urban squares,
pedestrian laneways, urban gardens, regional sports
grounds.
Whole region (particularly for higher order retailing and
services) and some whole of State (for government and
administrative functions)
Major Activity Centres (MAC)
Mowbray and Kings Meadows
Role
Provide for a wide range of services and facilities (including
offices for business and government) to serve the
surrounding sub-region, with a strong focus on the retail
and commercial sector. Providing high level of public
amenity and quality urban design in both building design
and provision of public spaces.
Provides a focus for employment at the sub-regional level.
Retailing a major industry but complemented by a range of
office and administration employment mostly of the small
to medium scale enterprises.
Employment
Land Uses
Commercial and Retail
Government and Community
Residential
Arts, Cultural and Entertainment
Access
Sub-regional shopping facilities with a range of major
supermarkets, department stores and a range of speciality
shops.
District facilities for both State and Federal Government
(i.e. Service Tasmania Outlets, Centrelink Customer Service
Centre, Medicare/Family Assistance Office), future
Integrated Care Centres, local government library branch, a
range of medical practitioners. An urban public space as the
focus of community facilities and events. Educational
facilities either within or in close proximity are highly
desirable as are child-care centres to support employment.
Should be future centre of Local Government services
within the relevant LGA.
Some in-centre residential development, complemented by
infill and consolidation of surrounding residential areas at
higher densities (25+ dwellings per hectare).
A range of dining and entertainment uses including nighttime activities as well as sporting clubs/facilities.
Major bus interchange with high frequency links to and
from other major activity centres and key residential
catchments. Ideally links a number of public transport
modes and connects directly or readily to other Major
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Public Open Space
Indicative Catchment
Regional Activity Centres and the Principal Activity Centre.
A range of civic public open spaces including playgrounds
regional sports grounds and linear parks.
Catchment of regional significance across at least two Local
Government Areas.
Suburban Activity Centres (SAC)
Role
Employment
Land Uses
Commercial and Retail
Government and Community
Residential
Arts, Cultural and Entertainment
Access
Public Open Space
Indicative Catchment
To provide for the daily needs of the immediately
surrounding area in an urban environment and provide a
focus for day-to-day life within a community that provides a
range of convenience and goods and services as well as
some community services and facilities.
Includes a mix of retail, community, and health services
(such as GP) and office-based employment servicing the
local area.
At least 1 major supermarket, a range of speciality shops
and secondary retailing. May contain small discount
department store. Office spaces are limited to small-scale
finance, banking, insurance, property, and professional
services.
Local community services. Space for community groups.
Some in-centre residential development, complemented by
infill and consolidation of surrounding residential areas at
medium to higher densities (Up to 25 dwellings per
hectare).
May include some night time activities focussed on dining
or a local Hotel.
Ideally located on a public transport corridor with at least
good bus services. Should be highly accessible by cycling or
walking from surrounding area to enhance local access.
Local sports grounds, playgrounds and linear parks. Active
sports facilities such as skate parks, basketball/tennis courts
and the like to serve local needs.
Serves a number of suburbs but may attract people from a
wider catchment on an occasional basis.
District Service Centres (DSC)
Role
Employment
Land Uses
Commercial and Retail
Government and Community
Residential
To provide predominantly non-urban communities with a
range of goods and services to meet their daily and weekly
needs. Trips to larger centres only required occasionally.
Highest concentration of employment for the sub-region,
with a diversity of employment across business and
industrial sectors.
Should offer at least one major or a combination of
independent supermarkets and a range of speciality shops.
Local or district level commercial office space servicing the
community. May include district offices of government
functions if strong correlation to features of the
surrounding location.
Should offer a range of health and cultural facilities
required to support rural community:
District Health Centre, Service Tasmania outlet, Community
Centre/Community Hall. Educational facilities should be
provided (at least Primary and Secondary School). Should
be centre of Local Government services within the relevant
LGA.
Some in-centre residential development, complemented by
infill and consolidation of surrounding residential areas at
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Arts, Cultural and Entertainment
Access
Public Open Space
Indicative Catchment
medium to higher densities (Up to 25 dwellings per
hectare).
Hotel(s), restaurant, and dining facilities with other
entertainment for rural community. Local sporting
facilities/clubs.
Local bus service with connections to higher order District
Centres, but with expected low service frequency.
Predominantly accessed via private motor vehicle with
good walking and cycling linkages to surrounding residential
area.
Local sports grounds, playgrounds and linear parks. Active
sports facilities such as skate parks, basketball/tennis courts
and the like to serve local needs.
Serving outer, more rural based sub-regions and LGAs.
Neighbourhood or Town Centres
Role
Employment
Land Uses
Commercial and Retail
Government and Community
Residential
Arts, Cultural and Entertainment
Access
Public Open Space
Indicative Catchment
To serve daily needs of surrounding community and provide
a focus for day-to-day life within a community.
Includes a mix of small-scale retail, community, and health
services. Limited office based employment.
An independent supermarket or DDS as anchor tenant,
surrounded by a small range of specialty shops providing for
daily and weekly shopping needs for time poor customers.
In rural context often tourism related businesses.
Local community services, including Child Health Centre.
Some adjoining in centre/town residential may be offering
mixture of housing types and densities than outer laying
residential areas.
May have some dining, café’s, take-way and restaurants in
the evening or local bar – support local or tourist trade, but
residential amenity should be preserved.
When in urban context, ideally near public transport
corridor or bus services. Should be highly accessible by
cycling or walking from surrounding area to enhance local
access.
Local sports grounds, playgrounds and linear parks. Active
sports facilities such as skate parks, basketball/tennis courts
and the like to serve local needs.
Serves rural areas not served by regional level activity
centres.
Local or Minor Centres
Role
Employment
Land Uses
Commercial and Retail
Government and Community
Residential
Arts, Cultural and Entertainment
Access
Open Space
To provide a focus for day-to-day life within an urban
community.
Limited
Offer a range of small specialty shops (i.e. newsagents,
pharmacy, and gift store) and a convenience store.
Local community services, including Child Health Centre.
Some residential may be interspersed.
May have some dining in the evening or local bar, but
residential amenity should be preserved.
Ideally, near public transport corridor when occurring or
bus services. Should be highly accessible by cycling or
walking from surrounding area to enhance local access.
May include minor sporting or community spaces to serve
local needs. May also be connected to linear parks.
Specialist Centres
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Role
Employment
Land Uses
Commercial and Retail
Government and Community
Residential
Arts, Cultural and Entertainment
Access
Public Open Space
Indicative Catchment
To provide for activity of a specialist nature as defined
through specific local area or precinct structure plans such
as a master plan. Specialist nature maybe of a major
infrastructure, educational, health or research or other
institutional style facility of regional significance that
provides strong employment and economic development
role.
Dependent upon specialist characteristics.
Retail should reflect specific centre’s purpose or defined
character. Broader retailing (take-aways, cafes etc.) should
be limited to serving employment in the centre, unless
identified as part of its defined purpose or character. Office
space should be limited to focussed clusters of employment
affiliated with the centre’s predefined purpose or character.
None, unless predefined purpose or character details a
specific need.
Generally none, but may have specialised accommodation
nearby relating to centre’s focus (i.e. student
accommodation).
None – depending on nature of specialist focus / function
and other characteristics.
Ideally located at or adjacent to public transport corridor,
between existing activity centres.
May incorporate connection to linear parks.
Regional or Local, Dependent upon specialisation.
Principal Activity Centre
Launceston is an important regional services city. It has a modern airport with regular scheduled flights to
eastern seaboard cities and is an important destination for tourism travel to the northern part of the state. In
common with other regional cities, Launceston serves an extensive area beyond the municipality and urban
district. The city’s economy and future prosperity is in large part underpinned by its regional services role that
encompasses:
 retailing;
 commercial services;
 professional services;
 government and administration;
 legal services and justice;
 health and community services;
 entertainment and the arts;
 higher education;
 regional sporting facilities;
 hospitality and tourism;
 transport and distribution.
The Primary Activity Centre is consistent with the Launceston Central Activities District as defined in the
Launceston Planning Scheme. The Launceston retail core district is the region’s pre-eminent shopping
destination. It contains the city’s department store and two discount department stores and an array of
national chain specialty stores together with a number of recognised Launceston based and Tasmanian stores
that have developed as major regional and district attractors. The retail core district contains the highest
concentrations of pedestrian activity in the city and is the focus for the city’s bus services. The retail surveys
confirmed the regional catchment of the CBD which extends well beyond the greater urban area, west to
Deloraine and Devonport.
Page 69
Major Activity Centres
The Major Activity Centres of Kings Meadows and Mowbray have long been recognised in the Launceston
Planning Scheme and policy development as being designated locations for higher order activity centres to
provide for a comprehensive range of daily and weekly shopping requirements and limited supporting
discretionary requirements. Both centres have street based retail services and commercial activities together
with internal shopping malls and both have a major supermarket presence. The only three supermarkets in the
City of Launceston in excess of 3,000 square metres floor area are located in the District Centres and a fourth is
being completed to be opened in Mowbray.
The catchment analysis indicates extensive district and regional catchments extending over the Launceston
suburban area and the surrounding localities. The market share analysis indicates the dominant role of Kings
Meadows over the southern suburbs of Launceston and surrounding localities for food and grocery shopping.
The surveys indicated a more restricted market share pattern for food and grocery shopping at Mowbray,
largely confined to the suburbs north of Invermay. The two centres have significant potential to provide a
wider range of discretionary retail goods together with retail and commercial services that extends far beyond
the provision of food and grocery shopping.
Suburban Activity Centres
Suburban Centre Activity centres and defined as recognised activity nodes providing for the comprehensive
daily needs and a range of weekly requirements of local residents. The activity requirements for a
neighbourhood centre include a supermarket and some provision of food stores and retail services. In the
GLUA there are several centres that meet these requirements. These are:
 Prospect
 Lilydale
 Legana Shopping Centre
 Prospect Vale Marketplace
 Riverside
Legana and Prospect Vale are mall type shopping centres anchored by full line supermarkets in excess of 3,000
square metres. Riverside is an older mall based shopping centre anchored by a 2,700 square metre
supermarket. George Town and Longford are historic town centres serving an immediate urban area and
extensive rural settlement catchments.
District Service Centres
Through-out the regional areas of Northern Tasmania principally outside the Greater Launceston Urban Area is
several key regional service centres these are essential large District Centres located in a rural / coastal tourist
location. They are the traditional town centres that serve the immediate needs of the surrounding regional
district, for day to day needs and generally weekly shopping, convenience, banking, lower order retail and local
business and employment opportunities. They are the centre for local government administration and related
community and social services, including district health and education needs.
 George Town
 Longford
 Scottsdale
 St Helens
 Westbury
 Deloraine
Neighbourhood or Rural Town Centre
Throughout the region there are numerous neighbourhood or rural town centres in the City of Launceston and
outside the Greater Launceston Urban Area. Each of these centres provides a small supermarket (less than 1,
500 square metres) and a complement of food stores and retail services in a relatively small defined area. A
Page 70
characteristic of Neighbourhood or Rural Town is that there are several isolated supermarkets with supporting
stores either in a ‘drive to’ style centre or a traditional strip retail format. Within Launceston City some of
these centres include:
 Wellington Street
 Newnham
 Norwood
 Youngtown
 St Leonards.
In the localities outside the City of Launceston, there are a number of Rural Town Centres some of these
comprising:
 Beaconsfield
 Exeter
 Bridport
 St Marys
 Campbell Town
 Perth
 Evandale
Local or Minor Centres
These local centres are minor retail and conveniences that provide a focus for day-to-day life within an urban
community. They can offer a range of small specialty shops (i.e. newsagents, pharmacy, and gift store) and a
convenience store, along with a local community services, such as a Child Health Centre. Some residential may
be interspersed in the centre and may have some dining in the evening or local bar, bur residential amenity
should be preserved.
Specialist Centres
These specialist centres provide for activity of a specialist nature as defined through specific local area or
precinct structure plans such as a master plan. Specialist nature centres maybe areas accommodating major
infrastructure (such as the airport) or educational, health or research or other institutional style facilities of
regional significance that provides strong employment and economic development role.
Page 71
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4.9
Regional Policies and Actions
Policy
Action
RAC-P1 Maintain and consolidate the Regional Activity
Centres Network to ensure future urban development
consolidates and reinforces the spatial hierarchy of existing
centres through reuse and redeveloping existing buildings
and land to integrate a mix of land uses including the
coordinated provision of residential development, retail,
commercial, business, administration, social and
community facilities, public and active transport provision
and associated infrastructure.
RAC-A1 Integrate the Regional Activity Centres Network
into government policy and strategies (i.e. strategic plans,
corporate plans, planning schemes and capital works
programs.
RAC-P2 Reinforce the role of the Principal Regional Activity
Centre of Launceston as the primary focus for
administration, government, business, commercial, cultural,
high order retail goods (including bulk goods
locations/precincts) recreational, arts and tourism activity
for the region.
RAC-P3 Promote and support the role of Major and
Suburban Activity Centres to ensure these centres broaden
their district and regional attractions as places of future
employment
and
residential
development
with
substantially improved access, amenity, diversity, liveability
outcomes.
RAC-P4 Promote and support the role of lower order
activity centres, particularly neighbourhood and rural town
centres, in revitalising and strengthening the local
community and sustaining a viable population base for
regional and rural communities and the development of
new neighbourhood and local centres where this is
warranted by local population growth within the Urban
Growth Boundary Areas.
RAC-P5 Ensure safe and amenable access for all members
of the community to Activity Centres by supporting active
transport opportunities to encourage people to walk, cycle
and use public transport to access Activity Centres.
RAC-A2 Ensure that zoning and land use provisions under
Planning Schemes minimise the potential for
decentralisation of functions outside of the Regional
Activity Centres Network and reinforces the spatial
hierarchy, role and function of centres.
RAC-A3 Ensure the primacy regional role of the Launceston
City as the region’s Principal Activity Centre (RPAC) is
sustained and strengthened through the preparation of a
master plan that:

maintains and consolidates regional significant retail
attractions and amenities by facilitating and
encouraging new investment;

supports the regional level retail investment in the CBD
and inner city areas,

complements the other higher order regional activity
centres; and

facilitates the consolidation of bulky goods precincts
within the City and the GLUA.
RAC-A4 Ensure the major activity centres are sustained by
providing opportunities for residential development at
higher densities with a greater variety of mix of land uses
that create employment opportunities, integrated with
improved public amenity and urban spaces, social
infrastructure and public transport provision.
RAC-A5 Ensure the lower order activity centres are
sustained through a local residential strategy or
development plan that strengthens their role and function
by maintaining and consolidating retail attractions, local
employment opportunities and public amenities and
services to create vibrant and sustainable regional and rural
communities.
RAC-A6 Ensure planning schemes have consistent policy,
planning and design provisions to support and maximise
public transport and pedestrian and cycle access to the
hierarchy of activity centres;
RAC-A7 Support the improved use of public transport and
alternative modes of transport, pedestrian amenity and
urban environment in a coordinated and consistent manner
between the higher order activity centres.
RAC-P6 Improve the integration of public transport with
Activity Centre planning, particularly where it relates to
higher order activity centres.
RAC-A8 Ensure planning schemes support integrated land
use and transport planning principles to reinforce the role
and function of the Regional Activity Centres network.
RAC-P7 Coordinate with state agencies such as DIER to
ensure the ongoing delivery of high quality, high frequency
public transport that meets the needs and expectations of
the community and supports the Regional Activity Centres
network.
RAC-A9 Ensure transport strategies and future
infrastructure provision support the role and function of the
Regional Activity Centres network.
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RAC-P8 Ensure high quality urban design and pedestrian
amenity within Regional Activity Centres by acknowledging
the significance of place making, activity diversity and the
improvement of amenity through coordinated urban design
and planning as necessary elements in the development
and management of attractive, sustainable and socially
responsive regional activity centres.
The desired urban design outcomes include:

improvements in the presentation, safety and amenity
of the public realm and built environment; and

provision of outdoor urban spaces and streetscape
environments (shopfronts, etc.) that create a diversity
of land use activities and maximise public and private
investments.
RAC-P9 Discourage ‘out-of-centre’ development to ensure
that new use and development supports the Activity
Centres Network and the integrated transport system.
Development applications that are ‘out of centre’ will only
be considered if all of the following criteria are adequately
addressed:

community need;

no adverse impact on existing activity centres; and

synergy with existing employment hubs (i.e. health,
education, research).
If these three factors are present there must be overall
community benefit demonstrated through a social and
economic impact assessment to reflect the strategic
directions and policies of the RLUS.
RAC-P10 Provide for a range of land uses to be incorporated
into activity centres appropriate to their role and function
within the hierarchy of activity centres.
RAC-A10 Ensure planning schemes have a consistent
requirement for sustainable place making and urban design
outcomes for new development in existing and designated
future activity centres and precincts.
RAC-A11 Undertake master planning for the major regional
activity centres, taking into account the Activity Centres
Network and supporting policies to encourage in-centre
developments.
These master plans should include a detailed development
capacity audit, public consultation, opportunities and
constraints assessment, methods to improve urban amenity
and an economic development strategy along with
addressing other activity centre principles.
The master plans should enhance accessibility of the higher
order activity centres through good layout and good
pedestrian movement.
RAC-A12 Any proposed ‘out of centre’ developments are to
undertake a detailed economic impact assessment that
addresses how the ‘out of centre’ proposal complies with
the strategic directions and policies of the RLUS.
RAC-A13 Focus higher density residential and mixed-use
development in and around regional activity centres and
public transport nodes and corridors.
RAC-A14 Planning scheme controls on uses, height and
residential density should reflect the Regional Activity
Centres Network.
RAC-P11 Develop activity centres with street frontage retail
layouts instead of parking lot dominant retailing, with the
exception of Specialist Activity Centres where the defined
character or purpose requires otherwise.
RAC-P12 Regional Activity centres should encourage local
employment, although in most cases this will consist of
small scale businesses servicing the local or district areas.
RAC-P13 Ensure that there is effective access to a hierarchy
of social facilities and amenities. Within this context there is
an important provisioning and access role for the activity
RAC-A15 Provide for home based businesses through
planning schemes to ensure they allow for small businesses
to establish and operate, while facilitating relocation into
activity centres at an appropriate size and scale of
operation.
RAC-A16 Consider whether an activity centre is on an
existing or proposed priority transit network or other highfrequency transit corridor when making a decision on a
Page 74
centre network.
relevant planning scheme amendment or development
application.
RAC-P14 Investigate capital improvements works to
improve pedestrian safety and access to activity centres
and precincts and progressively develop an implementation
of capital works improvements to the region’s activity
centres.
RAC-A17 Enhance activity centres by encouraging people to
linger beyond that required for their retail needs through
providing:

a good quality public realm including provisions of a
particular public open space focus (i.e. a town square)
for community events and social networking; and

entertainment, dining and indoor recreational
opportunities.
RAC-P15 Coordinate joint agreements on the range of
future needs for community, social and recreation facilities
and amenities with relevant providers and state agencies.
RAC-P16 Coordinate joint agreement with relevant
providers and state agencies on the most effective spatial
distribution of future social facilities and services to the
community. In this context:

Consider the co-location of facilities and services with
the activity centre network;

Develop a policy framework and guidelines for social
community services and facilities and appropriate
activity centres as part of the considered overall
planning and development of these centres and
precincts.
RAC-A18 Introduce an assessment process (within the
context of the existing legislative framework) relating to the
quality of design for prominent buildings within the
Principal Activity Centre.
RAC-A19 Investigate strategies to deliver a coordinated
approach to the delivery of key facilities and services to the
community consistent with the relative order of the
Regional Activity Centres network.
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4.10
Regional Infrastructure Network
Desired Regional Outcome
Integrated infrastructure, transport and land use planning to ensure efficient, cost-effective and
sustainable forms of urban development that support the region’s settlement pattern. The
Tasmanian Infrastructure Strategy clearly states that regional and local land use and
infrastructure plans need to be consistent with whole of State infrastructure plans and policies.


Ensure development maximises the use of existing infrastructure capacity and planned
infrastructure; and
Developing and protecting transport assets and systems that promotes a sustainable
transportation network (that includes access, choice and use of all transport including public
transport, cycling and walking movements.
The RLUS recognises that other areas of government policy and planning influence land use and have a role to
play in the delivery of land use planning outcomes. A key strategy is to support the various projects and
priorities of the Tasmanian Infrastructure Strategy, which consists of many projects and activities, which
include:
Tasmanian Urban Passenger Transport Framework that that provides a focus for:
- reduced greenhouse gas emissions;
- liveable and accessible communities;
- reliable travel;
- healthy and active communities (increase opportunities for active transport for short trips); and
- integrated transport and land use planning.
Tasmanian Walking and Cycling for Active Transport Strategy developed to support the Tasmanian Urban
Passenger Transport Framework.
The Greater Launceston Metropolitan Passenger Transport Plan being undertaking by DIER will include:
Within the Northern Tasmanian there are number of strategic freight routes that provide interregional
linkages to the North West and South. A number of North East Freight Roads projects of regional significance
need to be considered as part of the strategic land use strategy of the region. These projects include:
 Bridport Main Road between Scottsdale and Bridport;
 Tasman Highway / Gladstone Main Road between Branxholm and Tebrakunna Bridge;
 Tebrakunna Bridge replacement (completed);
 Camden Road and Camden Hills Road;
 Key bridges supporting the operable high productivity vehicle (HPV) network in the Mathinna region; and
 Prossers Road and Pattersonia Road intersections.
Page 76
The Tasmanian Corridor Strategy (2007) specifies shared strategic priorities of State and Federal Governments
as part of the rollout of the Auslink Federal Government initiative. Key challenges include the:
 shift of trade to the south of the State from Hobart to the northern ports which will mean that land
infrastructure needs to respond;
 projected growth in the transport task; and
 projected growth in forestry production in northwest and northeast subject to ongoing structural reforms
within the in the forestry industry;
A number of short term deficiencies have been identified that include operational constraints at Burnie and
Bell Bay intermodal facilities currently prevent improvements to efficiency, reliability, growth and transit time.
Intermodal facilities are emerging as weak links.


In the longer term a number of deficiencies have been identified that will need to be resolved include:
Wellington and Bathurst Streets in Launceston, which have low level of service, multiple direct
accesses, multiple pedestrian crossings and narrow lane widths;
East Tamar Highway and Bass Highway, Illawarra Main Road; rail efficiency (restrictions on rail speeds
due to tight corners).
Relevant priorities that the regional strategy will need to address with the State Government include:
Short Term
 Improve rail infrastructure between Brighton and Western Junction to reduce north-south rail
turnaround time and increase the pulling capacity of locomotives;
 Develop options that align land transport freight networks and the long-term role and function of
ports;
 Develop options for improving the intermodal transport in greater Launceston;
 Develop infrastructure improvement options for Bathurst and Wellington Streets and East Tamar
Highway from Windermere to Mount Direction.
Long Term
 Improve road infrastructure on sections of the East Tamar Highway that have not been completed to
enhance mass safety and efficiency.
 Improve road infrastructure on the Bass Highway between Deloraine and Illawarra Main Road.
 Improve road infrastructure and traffic management systems of Launceston’s Bathurst and
Wellington Streets.
 Improve road infrastructure of the Midland Highway between Perth and Breadalbane.
 Improve the Illawarra Main Road to enhance safety, efficiency and level of service.
The Northern Integrated Transport Plan (NIPT) 2003, which will be updated in early 2012 has objectives to:
 Provide guidelines to facilitate planning for the development of transport infrastructure to enhance
economic and social development of the region taking into account environmental and safety needs;
 Identify key transport corridors (freight, tourist);
 Identify transport demands and infrastructure required to 2020;
 Identify future land use patterns;
 Identify suitability for development of future transport modes in response to predicted demands for
their use;
 Promote a cooperative approach to the development of other transport infrastructure to meet needs;
 Encourage a partnership between Region North and State Government in prioritising projects.
Tasmanian Freight Strategy - will look at ways the State Government, as owner, manager and regulator of
transport networks, can move freight more efficiently.
Greater Launceston Bicycle Network Plan - LCC plan, linked with the Tasmanian Walking and Cycling for Active
Transport Strategy. Includes a strategy for implementation developed in conjunction with stakeholders.
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4.10.1 Regional Overview
Current major Tasmanian infrastructure initiatives focus on energy, water, sewerage, irrigation, broadband
and land-use planning. The total value of engineering construction work done in Tasmania in 2008-09 was $1
billion, an increase of 19% from 2007-08. Electricity generation, transmission and pipelines represented nearly
40% of the total value of engineering construction work (32% of the private sector and 44% of the public
sector), followed by roads, highways and subdivisions (20%) and water storage and supply, sewerage and
drainage (13%).
The Region is comparatively well served in key infrastructure such as ports and airports that provide access to
national and international markets. Good infrastructure is an important driver in securing and sustaining
employment, development and other services. It assists in maintaining a community’s liveability and is
important for productivity, profitability and investment. All these factors help create a significant comparative
advantage over many other regions.
In order to be more effective, Tasmania’s infrastructure planning must be undertaken by fewer bodies, include
greater coordination between sectors, and most critically, achieve greater alignment with land use planning.
The State’s economy is heavily reliant on the ability of the transport system to move freight from producers to
processors and on to Tasmanian, national and international markets.
The transport (freight) linkages with Tasmania’s northern ports are critical as the departure points for the
majority of the State’s exports. Tasmania’s drinking water and sewerage sector is undergoing significant
structural and regulatory reforms, with three new regional corporations established to deliver reticulated
services throughout the State.
There has been wide-ranging investment in new irrigation schemes, and structural and regulatory reforms to
drinking and waste water. Tasmania already leads the country in developing its renewable energy sources, and
has various renewable resources with enormous potential. The decision to diversify the State’s power supply
options have resulted in three major energy infrastructure projects: Bass link, the Tasmanian natural gas
project and the Woolnorth wind farm.
Launceston which is the seventeenth largest city in Australia is well served in terms of innovation and
competitiveness drivers including airport, hospital, education and training facilities and lifestyle attributes. Its
service and enterprise infrastructure is also significant. Bell Bay is a significant Tasmanian port which handles
more incoming and outgoing freight than other Tasmanian port.
Most of the Region is covered by Next G network for voice, picture, video and wireless broadband. It is
planned that by 2014, Tasmania will have the best fixed consumer broadband in the world through the current
roll out of optic fibre. There is a need for greater investment in mobile and wireless infrastructure, in
applications, in smart grids and other system-wide digital technologies. Five Northern regional localities will
benefit in the three stage National Broadband Network rollout plan that will add value to innovation and
competitive capacity in the region. The rollout includes Launceston in stage 3 following on from St Helens,
George Town, Scottsdale and Deloraine.
The primary form of transport access across the region is provided by the state and local road network, and for
limited freight, the rail network. The road system is hierarchical which is important in terms of ensuring that
the safety and efficiency of high category roads and rail are not adversely impacted upon by inappropriate
uncontrolled accesses and sensitive uses being located alongside major roads.
The region is well served by the Launceston airport with 4 domestic jet service providers, 2 freight service
providers, several regional operators and General Aviation service operators. Last calendar year over 1.15
million passengers were moved through the airport. It is important that planning tools such as noise exposure
forecasts and obstacle limitation surface criteria are used to ensure sensitive uses and building heights do not
adversely impact on the airport operations.
Page 78
Water Supply and Sewerage
Planning can assist long term water security through protection of water catchment areas against
development that will threaten quality and by requiring supply, collection and treatment infrastructure is
appropriate and available before development occurs. Areas allocated for development can also impact on the
economic efficiency of the distribution system.
For example in the absence of a broader strategic planning framework, ad hoc decisions on the location and
delivery of infrastructure have significantly changed settlement patterns. Ad hoc decision making has also
generated the need for new infrastructure and increased the pressure on existing infrastructure leading to
unnecessary costs and inefficiencies.
Water is a key regional resource; access to sustainable water and waste water treatment services is critical to
ensure the sub region is able to build sustainable communities. The State Policy on Water Quality
Management 1997 provides the overarching framework for the management of Tasmania’s surface and
groundwater resources.
This includes guidance on managing point source pollution and specific objectives for wastewater treatment
plants. It is imperative that the pattern of settlement is not inefficient in terms of absolute space occupied and
the costs of servicing with sewer and water. While there is developable land available further residential
expansion should be focussed to those areas that are already serviced by water and sewerage or can be
efficiently provided with such services without limiting investment in other key areas.
Land use planning should not be considered in isolation from these water and sewerage services – the table
below provides an estimation of the wastewater treatment plant percentage utilisation for a selected group of
Towns across the Region, supplied by Ben Lomond Water. This utilisation is indicative only.
Table: Settlement by Wastewater Infrastructure
Settlement
Wastewater Infrastructure
Utilisation %
Bridport
80
Deloraine
80
Evandale
56
Georgetown
90
Legana
100
Longford
67
Newnham
100
Prospect Vale 100
Scottsdale
17
St Helens
35
Youngtown
80
Energy
The primary issues for energy supplies (electricity and gas) are capacity and reliability of supply to meet urban
and industrial demands. There is also potential for renewable generation sources, particularly wind power
which can be developed on a local or large scale. Large scale wind farms are often located in remote areas
requiring transmission corridors and should be located so as to avoid high conservation and scenic areas.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy opportunities are significant. Wind power can be developed on a large or local scale. Wind
energy generation opportunities in the northeast and Furneaux Group are substantial. Biomass energy
Page 79
generation in the northeast presents an additional renewable source opportunity. Tidal and wave energy
potential on the north east coast and Furneaux Group needs to further investigation.
An example of targeted renewable energy policy is the Flinders Island Sustainability Plan, which encompasses a
strategy to move Flinders Island towards 100% renewable energy supply.
Transport
Availability of transport is an important component of accessibility. The geographic distribution of services
means that those living in less populated areas often must travel to access services. High levels of interregional commuting, particularly in some areas, may put pressure on access routes.
Public Transport
Metro Tasmania is a government owned company that provide public and school bus services in Launceston,
Hobart and Burnie. In Launceston these services cover the urban area as well as rural residential areas of
Blackstone Heights and Hadspen. Metro Tasmania Annual Report 2008-2009 reported an increase in passenger
trips from July 2008 to June 2009 of 1.0% in Launceston. This was due to an increase in concession patronage
of 7.7%, offsetting decreases of -8.4% in full-fare passengers and -0.8% in child/student passengers. This
increase was a turn-around from the declines experienced since 2003. Approximately 20 private bus operators
provided services between other towns in the Northern region in 2003 according to the Northern Tasmania
Integrated Transport Plan 2003.
4.11
Regional Policies and Actions
Policy
Action
RIN-P1 Coordinate, prioritise and sequence the supply of
infrastructure throughout the region to match its
settlement framework.
RIN-P2 Identify infrastructure capacity, need and gaps in
current provision to meet requirements for projected
population and economic activity.
RIN-P3 Direct new development towards settlement areas
that have been identified as having spare infrastructure
capacity.
RIN-A1 Liaise with state agencies principally DIER to
develop transport initiatives.
RIN-P4 Recognise the DIER Road Hierarchy and protect the
operation of major road and rail corridors (existing and
planned) from development that will preclude or have an
adverse effect upon the existing and future operations.
RIN-P5 Recognise and protect the region’s port, and
airport and other intermodal facilities (existing and
planned) and protect their operation from development
that will preclude or have an adverse impact upon the
existing and future operations.
RIN-A2 Liaise with state agencies namely DEDTA and DIER
to develop infrastructure strategies for Northern Tasmania.
RIN-A3 Preference growth in areas in that uses under
capacity of existing infrastructure and give preference to
urban expansion that is in physical proximity to existing
transport corridors and the higher order Activity Centres.
RIN-A4 Recognise and protect the operation and future
expansion potential of key intermodal facilities, particularly
the three major seaports and the Launceston Airport
Protect from surrounding incompatible uses by applying
appropriate zoning and buffers in planning schemes.
RIN-A5 Ensure that appropriate planning mechanisms are
in place to facilitate the potential Bell Bay Port Intermodal
Expansion that is subject to Federal Government Funding.
RIN-A6 Ensure commercial development near Launceston
airports identifies and encourages activities that
complement the role of the airport and do not affect the
future operation of the airport by imposing operational
constraints.
Note: There are some limitations on State regulatory regimes to
impact this because the area immediately surrounding some
airports is subject to Commonwealth legislation which overrides
State legislation.
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RIN-A7 Protect the region’s road and rail infrastructure
network to enable a transition between compatible land
uses and an adequate separation between conflicting
development (e.g. ribbon residential development and
limit multiple new accesses onto regional freight roads)
that would compromise safe and efficient operations of
existing and future planned road and rail corridors.
RIN-A8 Protect strategic road corridors that are
predominately State Roads (Category 1-3) under
Tasmanian Road Hierarchy which include:

Midland Highway.

Illawarra Main Road.

Bass Highway.

Tasman Highway

Birralee
Frankford
Main
Road/West
Tamar/Batman Highway corridor.

West Tamar Highway from Launceston to
Frankford Main Road.

East Tamar Highway.

Bridport Main Road.

Tasman Highway from Scottsdale to Ringarooma
Main Road.

Tasman Highway from Esk Main Road to St
Helens

Ringarooma Main Road from Tasman Highway to
Ringarooma.

Lilydale Main Road from East Tamar Highway to
Lalla Road (Golconda Road).

Bell Bay Main Road.

Esk Main Road.

Evandale Main Road from Midland Highway to
Launceston airport.

Kings Meadows Main Road.

Other roads which are local roads may require
protection include, Bathurst Wellington Streets,
forestry freight routes – Mathinna Plains Road,
northern section of Camden Road and Prossers
Road.
RIN-A9 Ensure appropriate zoning and/or other
mechanisms within planning schemes support future roads
that are currently being planned by DIER.
RIN-P6 Facilitate and encourage active modes of transport
through land use planning.
RIN-A10 Ensure that subdivision roads are designed and
constructed to meet the needs of all users and to reinforce
the functions, safety and efficiency of the road or
communal driveway, e.g. pedestrians and cyclists
RIN-A11 Ensure that future subdivision design allows for
permeability and connectivity in the transportation
network.
RIN-A12 Incorporate contemporary guidelines and other
relevant subdivision design codes into Planning Schemes to
ensure the provision of facilities for walking and cycling
deals with this. Examples include:
a. layout of lots and buildings must provide for
connection to adjacent local roads, open space, trails,
Page 81
pedestrian, cycle and bus routes; and
b. roads are designed and constructed to meet the needs
of all users and to reinforce the functions, safety and
efficiency of the road or communal driveway, e.g.
pedestrians and cyclists.
RIN-A13 Ensure the needs of off-road and on-road facilities
cycle facilities (shared pathways and engineering aspects
associated with the different needs of cyclists and walkers)
are addressed.
RIN-A14 Ensure future Specific or Local Area Development
Plans can provide a means of linking the development of
the Principal Urban Cycling Networks (bike highways) with
the work that has to be done at local level to create
appropriate local cycling ‘connector routes’ and end of trip
facilities.
RIN-A15 Ensure Local Area Development Plans enable and
motivate walking for transport via provision of local
walking routes as part of Local Area Development Plans.
RIN-A16 Facilitate the increased use of active transport
modes for short trips by ensuring future subdivisions
provide for pedestrian connectivity to open spaces, trails,
and cycle and bus routes and include adequate provision of
cycle ways.
RIN-P7 Facilitate an efficient and convenient public
transportation system through land use planning.
RIN-A17 Ensure Planning Schemes require that
developments/uses that attract high numbers of people
include provision of end of trip facilities (showers, bike
parking, etc.) and bike parking in parking requirements –
where appropriate.
RIN-A18 Ensure that future higher density residential
areas, mixed use developments and new commercial areas
are integrated with public transport services.
RIN-A19 Ensure new urban subdivisions are designed to
cater for buses, e.g. road width, junction/roundabout
design, entry and exit points and need to be designed in
accordance with Australian Standards.
RIN-A20 Ensure
subdivision
design
provides
interconnected road layouts which promote an efficient
and contiguous public transport service together with
cyclists and pedestrian movement and minimise the use of
cul-de-sacs.
RIN-A21 Consult and engage with public transport service
providers in the concept design phase to determine if the
area can be serviced by public transport in terms of the
network and also in terms of subdivision design.
RIN-A22 Ensure new urban development encourage
residential densities that support more cost effective
delivery of public transport services.
RIN-A23 Ensure new urban development to be located
adjacent to existing and preferably mixed use areas –
reducing the need to travel and the distances travelled, at
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least for some trips.
RIN-A24 Identify higher density residential areas, mixed
use development and new commercial areas to support
greater access and use of public transport services,
particularly in areas which have higher frequency services.
4.12
Regional Economic Development
Desired Regional Outcome
Make Northern Tasmania competitive on the national and global level through innovation and
infrastructure investment through economic development initiatives to:
 Facilitate the protection and enhancement of manufacturing, industrial and tourist
business service locations;
 Promote efficient access into both centres including expansion of air and sea port and land
freight connections and operations;
 Protection of significant agricultural land and natural productive resources
Regional Principles
1.
Develop the economic and employment profile and role of Northern Tasmania as the logical major freight
and tourist gateway for the whole of the state and as the key link between Tasmania and the rest of the
mainland, particularly Melbourne.
2.
Pursue a range of new and innovative investment and product development opportunities in locations
and sectors generally not previously targeted and resourced and support these initiatives with major
upgrades to the regional infrastructure network.
Relevant State and Regional Policies/Strategies:
 Tasmania Together
 Economic Development Plan (DEDTA, State Plan – to be released in 2011) - when complete, the document
will be the overarching economic development plan for the state. It will be supported by and embedded
with:
o The Skills Strategy (2008);
o The Infrastructure Strategy (2010);
o The Innovation Strategy (2010).
 Innovation Strategy (Tasmanian Government, 2010)
 Innovation Strategy (Concept Paper, October 2009, AIRC)
 RDA Regional Plan 2010-2015
 Regional Employment Plan (Keep Australia Working Committee, 2010)
 NTD Economic Development Plan 2002
 NTD Invest Annual Action Plan 2007
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Specific tourism docs:
 NTD Tourism Development Plan 2007
 Trail of the Tin Dragon Master Plan 2004
 National Long-term Tourism Strategy (RET, 2009)
4.12.1 Regional Overview
Tasmania has a temperate, maritime climate with a predominantly western weather pattern. This in
combination with the topography of the island combines to result in varied regional and local micro climates
and rainfall. The northern region experiences great variation in temperature and rainfall, high in the
mountainous areas of the north east and relatively low in the northern midlands plains. Water access across
much of the arable land is likely to be greatly enhanced by proposed irrigation schemes; changing the
production profile dramatically.
The region’s challenge will be to harness the potential while protecting the capability of the soils and
maintaining the natural environment and ecosystems. Of the 1,995,200ha area of the Region, residual native
cover (602,000ha) is the most significant land use, followed by grazing (562,000ha) and production forestry
(388,000ha).
 Break O’Day has the largest area of production forestry (40.28% of the SLAi area);
 Northern Midlands (M) – Pt B has the largest area of grazing (48.09% of the SLA area); while
 Dorset (M) has the greatest area of diary properties, plantation forestry and mining in the region.
22% of the Northern Regions land is in State Forest and 21% in all other reserves. Meander Valley (M) – Pt B
has 55.74% of its SLA area in reserves, of that 23.73% in National Parks. Dorset has 50.43% in reserves, with
32.23% in State Forest. 41,809ha (2.1%) of the region is Prime Agricultural Land, of which Meander Valley (M)
– Pt B contains the greatest area. Notwithstanding this classification, almost a quarter of the regions land mass
is applied to agriculture. Mining within the region is currently restricted to gold mining at Beaconsfield and
coal mining at Fingal. Other resource extraction industries are based on quarrying materials for construction.
Over recent decades, global economic conditions have changed the region’s economy. Manufacturing such as
clothing and textiles, and more recently automotive parts engineering, have declined principally due to
competition from industrialising countries and rises in transportation costs. Forecasts suggest that this trend
will continue (refer to Map 2 – Economic Features and Map 3 – Extractive Industries).
Potential for regional economic growth and new employment initiatives stem primarily from expansion of
existing advantages rather than from an influx of new large scale enterprise, particularly in locations with
limited comparative advantage to attract large scale industry. The exception to the above is the possible
development of the Gunn’s pulp mill at Longreach.
However there is evidence that potential economic growth lies with emerging industries based on the
development and transfer of knowledge. The National Broadband Network will significantly assist by removing
some constraints of geographical remoteness and facilitate access to knowledge. Good rail, road, air and
shipping access provides access to interstate and overseas markets. The State primary freight corridors of the
Bass and Midland Highways, active railway freight to the ports of the North West coast together with the
major port facility at Bell Bay converge within the Northern Region. This presents obvious opportunities to
capitalise on these advantages.
The strategic industrial sites located in Westbury (Birralee Road) Western Junction and the TRANSLink Precinct
(Launceston Airport) and Bell Bay Port (George Town) all have good access, infrastructure and contain large
vacant areas suitable for further industrial development. However there has been no analysis of future needs
and availability of zoned land on a regional basis.
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The Bell Bay industrial area is the largest industrial site in the region and in Tasmania as a whole
(approximately 2 500 hectares). The three major occupiers of this site are the export orientated Smorgan, Rio
Tinto aluminium smelter and TEMCO. Additional light industrial sites accommodate related service industries.
Demand for industrial land for export industries looks strong in the George Town region.
Dorset has substantial industrial land holdings that is spread amongst the two key large sites within Scottsdale,
and some smaller sites at Bridport, there was reasonable vacancy in 2008. The sites around Scottsdale are
primarily associated with agricultural and forestry operations including current Auspine Sawmill. Boat building
and shipping is a significant industry in Bridport, as well as fishing. In terms of recent trends, some industries
have been leaving Dorset. This includes the Simplot vegetable processing factory which closed around 4 years
ago and the milk factory around 10 years ago. In addition, the larger hop farms have closed down because of
the declining use of hops in beer. The longer term prospects of the Auspine Sawmill remain uncertain. Future
development includes a mine at Gladstone and the proposed Musselroe Eco-Resort. The latter development
would require 160 full time staff.
The recent establishment of the 130 hectare Valley Central industrial precinct has provided Meander Valley
businesses with the capacity to produce, package and transport from a location central to the region. The
flexibility of the precinct allows for a wide range of industry uses and has the ability for permitted status of
developments to be approved subject to basis criteria being achieved.
Activities within the precinct can operate 24 hours daily, 7 days per week without conflict with residential
amenity. The proximity of the precinct within Meander Valley and in relation to Tasmania's major airports and
shipping ports provides easy access for export to the Australian mainland and into overseas markets.
Westbury is better positioned to attract export oriented industry, as long as the parcel sizes and other features
are suited to demand from this sector. The presence of the gas pipeline, which runs both east-west and northsouth through the municipality, and the close proximity of the Launceston labour force, make the area
attractive for these businesses to settle.
Wine production is a major local export industry, with the West Tamar area laying claim to the being the most
productive wine region in Tasmania. Aquaculture at Clarence Point and the Beaconsfield gold mine are other
significant export sectors. The Australian Maritime College maintains a facility on industrially zoned land at
Beauty Point.
There is a proposal to construct a plastic recycling plant for the extraction of oil at Exeter and the relocation of
the ‘Natures Own’ storage facility away from Legana light industrial site due to a lack of suitable land for
expansion.
Agricultural land, particularly that utilised for primary production is a finite resource. The loss of agricultural
land can push farming activity onto more marginal and less productive lands where productivity is lower and
the potential for environmental degradation is higher.
From a marine resources perspective, traditional fishing has declined across the region over the past
generation. High value production such as wild harvesting of abalone still occurs as does specific species
fishing. Aquaculture is demonstrated as being a significant employer in Break O’Day and Launceston. No
The forest sector is in a major state of flux with agreements to cease harvesting forests of high conservation
value and reducing the harvest of native forest overall. The impact of transition to plantation dominated
forestry on the traditional and special species sectors is at this stage unknown.
The potential impact is significant in terms of regional income and employment in all stages of the value chain
from harvesting to final processing and sales. In combination agriculture, forestry and fishing provide 8% of the
regions gross product. The contribution to the local economy varies greatly, ranging from 43% on Flinders
down to 2% in Georgetown. This variation highlights the diversity of the regional economy.
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4.13
Freight and Port Development
Northern Tasmania is considered in a prime positioned to the other regions (south and north-west) to grow a
proportional share of Tasmania port and airport freight and increasingly be the gateway port and airport for
Tasmania. It has the best direct links with Australia’s fastest growing population centre – Melbourne and the
south east of Australia that commands about 14 million people.
A strong and resilient economy is essential to sustaining settlement and development in the Region. It is also
essential for the well-being of the population. DIER plans and manages major freight corridors, many of which
have designated Higher Productivity Vehicle access. The focus is on maximising the use of these corridors for
freight movement, over further dispersal of the task across other or new networks. The future identification of
industrial land should consider and integrate with the location and function of existing major freight networks.
There is also a need to consult with infrastructure providers as part of the strategic planning process for
identifying suitable industrial land rather than after land has been identified. This process will enable a more
detailed consideration of the infrastructure requirements, costs and integrated transport and land use
planning principles.
There are a number of key land freight links within the Northern Region these include:
 The Midland Highway is a key link between northern and southern Tasmania, and carried up to 2.4 million
tonnes in 2009.
 The Bass Highway is a key link between northern and north west Tasmania – carrying up to 3.6 million
tonnes in 2009.
 The East Tamar Highway is a key link in northern Tasmania – carrying up to 3.3 million tonnes in 2009.
 Illawarra Road is a key link between the Midland and Bass Highways and is designated in the State
hierarchy as a trunk road, at the same level as the above highways.



Important urban links include the Southern Outlet in Launceston which carried 1.8 million tonnes.
Important regional roads are Bridport Main Road and Frankford/Birralee/West Tamar Corridor.
Some urban roads managed by Local Government and other authorities carry high tonnages of freight,
including roads around sea ports (Mobil Road at Bell Bay); Bathurst, Wellington and Lower Charles Streets
in Launceston.
Bell Bay is Tasmania’s largest port in terms of tonnages, and is a major container and bulk goods port. The
port exported 3.1 million tonnes and imported 1.6 million tonnes in 2009. The Bell Bay industrial area is a
key location for forestry freight processing, and the port moved significant volumes of forestry freight in
2009.
In the northern region, major intra-regional freight tasks (other than forestry and construction materials) are
agricultural freight from the Dorset area (predominantly vegetables and milk) and coal from the Fingal Valley.
In terms of freight moved between Tasmania’s three regions, the northern region is the major destination for
inter-regional freight, in terms of tonnage. Over 2.7 million tonnes of freight was moved from other regions to
the northern region. The northern region had the highest volume log task of the three regions (2.1 million
tonnes). The main destination for the log task in the northern region is Bell Bay, with over 1.8 million tonnes of
hardwood logs and nearly half a million tonnes of softwood logs moving to the Bell Bay area in 2009.
Under existing conditions Tasmania’s northern ports have a total capacity of 650,000 TEUs (twenty foot
equivalent unit container). Medium term forecasts are predicting a need for a capacity of 800,000 TEUs.
Redevelopment of Bell Bay will support an increase in capacity from 150,000 TEUs to 650,000 TEUs in the
longer term. While some additional capacity remains at Devonport port, as an urban port it faces significant
constraints to future expansion. Burnie Port faces similar constraints. Bell Bay is the only port capable of
significant expansion in the longer term to support growth in Tasmania’s container market.
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4.14
Manufacturing and Industrial Land
Manufacturing is an important element of the regional economy, providing 17% of the regions gross product.
Launceston and Georgetown account for the majority of the region’s manufacturing output, with Georgetown
demonstrating the highest focus on intensive manufacturing. The capital intensiveness of Dorset and
Georgetown production results in the highest production per business.
The combination of natural environment, infrastructure and production drive population and settlement
patterns across the region; from the above profile, it is clear that different LGAs reflect quite different
production profile reflecting attributes arising from the natural environment or location, consequently
different settlements also play different role in the economy.
There is limited information on the future industrial needs within the Region beyond the 2011 time horizon
however Launceston City has an Industrial Strategy to 2029 that was prepared in 2008-09. An industrial land
demand study completed in 2008 identified industrial land demand to 2011. This study is being currently being
updated by DEDTA and will identify industrial land demand (and supply shortages) for the longer term horizon
to 2040. It is expected that the industrial land requirements will need to be considered in future iterations of
the RLUS.
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4.15
Rural and Natural Productive Resources
Regional Principles
1.
Potential available agricultural land will be identified in accordance with the State Policy on the Protection
of Agricultural Land 2009 and monitored for its best productive use.
2.
Recognise and provide long term protection for all potentially irrigable areas. The value of such lands will
be added to with direct investments into irrigation schemes and other infrastructure to diversify
agricultural and related industries.
3.
Land use planning will ensure the integrity of the agricultural values are maintained whilst allowing for a
transition on non-agricultural land uses between the regions land use categories of Rural land use and the
Urban Growth Boundary.
4.
Recognise and support the various agricultural production areas Identify and protect regionally significant
extractive industry resources.
Rural Industry
The agricultural industry is a significant contributor to the economy of the Northern region through the value
of production and employment. The total area of the Region is 2,004,460 hectares of which 1,793,473 hectares
are zoned rural. Agriculture (forestry, fishing, agriculture) is a major employer within the region (in 2006 with
3,274 people). Agricultural activities include livestock, broad-acre crops, vegetables, dairying, berries,
orchards, forestry plantations and nurseries (refer to Map 4 – Agricultural Land).
Production is focused on output oriented industries, essentially agriculture, forestry and manufacturing.
Agriculture is a major regional production activity, providing significant income and employment benefits to
the communities of the Region. Rural land comprises an expansive land use within the Region and has played a
historical and durable settlement role in the development of the Region.
These rural areas have significant social, cultural, scenic and recreational value, and as demonstrated in the
following scenarios can offer significant opportunities into the future. Of the $370M in agricultural production
in the Northern Region 31% is livestock, 19% milk and 17% vegetables. Northern Midlands (M)–Pt B, Meander
Valley (M)–Pt B and Dorset (M) are only second to Circular Head (M) in the Gross value of agricultural
production (excluding forestry and poppy production).
Examples of the significant agricultural activities in the region are:

Northern Midlands - cattle ($24.5M), wool ($22.5M) and vegetables ($22M);

Meander Valley – milk ($34M), vegetables ($22M) and cattle ($16.5M); and

Dorset - milk ($29M), cattle ($19.5M) and Vegetables ($16M).

West Tamar (M) – Pt is the second most prolific producer of fruit in the State to Huon Valley (M) - $4.5M
versus $25M.
There is an abundant of potentially available agricultural land (PAAL) which consists of both prime and nonprime agricultural land classes and thus a clear imperative to protect good quality agricultural land for existing
and future agricultural production activities.
Potentially available agricultural land (PAAL is land zoned Rural which has appropriate Land Capability, more
than 1.0 hectares parcel size, is currently utilised for agriculture or has no restrictions for conversion to
agricultural use.
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This land has been defined spatially. Both Prime Agricultural Land (Class 1-3) and non-prime agricultural land
(Class 4-6) has been included in the PAAL area. The non-prime land identified through this analysis can be
considered as the basis for applying Principle 7 of the State Policy on the Protection of Agricultural Land 2009
which states:
“The protection of non-prime agricultural land from conversion to non-agricultural use will be
determined through consideration of the local and regional significance of that land for
agricultural use.”
An analysis of the size distribution of rural parcels and holdings show that over 50% of the holdings1 are less
than 40 hectares in all municipalities except Northern Midlands (45%), and over 80% of holdings are less than
40 hectares in Break O’Day, Launceston and West Tamar. Conversely, the highest percentage of holdings
greater than 100 hectares is in Northern Midlands (39%), and the lowest is in West Tamar (3%).
Within the potentially available agricultural land (PAAL) the area of Prime Agricultural Land (Capability Classes
1-3) is much less than the non-prime area, representing in total 6% of the land area. The greatest area is in
Meander Valley where there is 16,118 hectares of Prime Agricultural Land. In the entire Northern Region, 48%
of the potentially available agricultural land area is Land Capability Class 4, 39% is Class 5 and 8% is Class 6 –
these classes are not considered prime agricultural land.
The land most likely to be irrigated is in Land Capability Classes 1-4, although some Class 5 land is also irrigated
(generally for pasture rather than crops). The largest areas of Class 4 land are in Northern Midlands (128,815
hectares) and Meander Valley (60,041 hectares).
The quantity of water per hectare of potentially available agricultural land in Land Capability classes 1-4 ranges
from 0.1 (George Town Municipality) to 1.9 ML/ha (Dorset Municipality). The ratio indicates greatest water
availability and/or use in the Dorset, Meander Valley, Break O’Day and Northern Midlands municipalities.

Grazing land is the predominant land use in all municipalities and is greatest in Northern Midlands, with
large areas also in Dorset and Meander Valley. Northern Midlands has the largest number of sheep
enterprises, and the largest flocks.

While the number of flocks is lower, the flock sizes in Break O’Day and Flinders are relatively large. This is
consistent with the experience that sheep are generally preferred in lower rainfall environments, and
cattle are preferred where rainfall is higher.

The dairy industry is very large in Meander Valley and Dorset, with many herds and large average herd
sizes. There are a few herds in the other Municipalities, and none on Flinders. ‘

The largest area of broadacre crops is in Northern Midlands, with smaller areas in Meander Valley and
Dorset. These same three municipalities also have large areas of vegetables crops.
Value of Agricultural Product
Total Estimated Value of Agricultural Output (EVAO) is highest for Northern Midlands ($120m) followed by
Dorset ($87m) and Meander Valley ($105m), and lowest for George Town ($11m). Average EVAO per
establishment is highest for Northern Midlands ($351,000), followed by Dorset ($250,000) and Meander Valley
($242,000), and lowest for Launceston ($83,000).
The average EVAO in Launceston and West Tamar are well below the AK study’s recommended threshold level
of $150,000 for long-term viability, and Flinders and George Town are just below. With an EVAO below $150
000, additional income would need to come from off-farm activities to be able to sustain a family.
These figures support the general perception that there are many “part-time” or “hobby farms” in Launceston
and West Tamar. In part this is due to the small size of parcels, but other contributing factors are Land
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Capability (small extent of Prime Agricultural Land) and little development of, or restricted availability of water
resources.
Fragmentation from not only the small size of the land parcels but also lack of uniformity in soils, topography
and Land Capability, results in small scale management units which makes it difficult to capitalise on
investments in plant and equipment. This limits agricultural activities that require relatively large areas to be
commercially competitive; e.g. broadacre cropping.
Water availability per hectare of class 1-4 land is also very low for the Launceston and West Tamar
municipalities.
The available data also lead to the following conclusions:
1.
Grazing of pasture and fodder crops is likely to continue to be the main agricultural use of land (based on
geographical extent) across the Region.
2.
Dairying provides the greatest contribution to the Municipal agricultural economy for Dorset and Meander
Valley.
3.
Broadacre cropping is mainly conducted in the Northern Midlands and Meander Valley Municipalities, on
land in Capability Classes 3 and 4.
Constraints include:
1.
In many parts of the Region agricultural activity are constrained due to small management units. In part
this is due to the small size of parcels, but other contributing factors are lack of uniformity in soils, Land
Capability and topography.
This results in small scale management units, which makes it difficult to capitalise on investments in plant
and equipment. When this is combined with a lack of high quality land and a restricted availability of
irrigation resource, there are very few options for productive agricultural use of this land.
2.
Parts of most municipalities are suitable for horticultural crops and Dorset, Meander Valley and Northern
Midlands have the most favourable attributes.
3.
The major limitations associated with developing horticultural crops with the other municipalities are:



small scale management units making it difficult to capitalise on investments in plant and equipment.
(West Tamar, Launceston, George Town);
lack of irrigation capacity (West Tamar, Launceston, George Town, Break O’ Day and Flinders); and
remoteness leading to a lack of support services and making it difficult to attract contractors for most
agricultural activities. (Break O’Day and Flinders).
Opportunities include:
1.
There are areas in the Region where there is potential for expansion of orchard fruits and vines. Site
specific climatic attributes are an important factor in determining where these areas are developed.
2.
There are a small number of nurseries and cut flower businesses in the Region. Access to markets is an
important driver in site selection. The area of land required is generally small, and soil/Land Capability is
not significant in the site selection process.
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3.
Plantation forestry offers landowners similar advantages to cattle grazing, such as low labour input by the
landowner. However, growth in the plantation industry is currently somewhat uncertain, although the
implementation of a carbon Emissions Trading Scheme and other policy decisions may alter this.
Other Vegetation Communities
All municipalities contain large areas of Private Land in the rural zones with forest and woodland vegetation
communities which are not classed as Threatened communities. The total area over the 8 municipalities is
337,152 hectares. While some of this could be cleared and developed for agricultural uses, there are
considerable restrictions on this occurring.
In addition to the regulatory constraints, much of this land is in Capability classes 5-6, so the land would be
most likely to be used for grazing or forestry plantations. In those circumstances the cost of clearing and
development is difficult to justify. It is unlikely much of this land will be cleared. None of this land has been
included in the area potentially available for agriculture (PAAL).
Water Resources for Irrigation
Water availability for irrigation is a key factor in determining the potential agricultural uses of a parcel,
particularly for intensive high value products. This resource can be in the form of winter storage in dams, or
direct pumping from bores or streams. Current and potential water resource availability in each municipality
has been determined as the sum of:



Water currently licensed for direct taking from a stream for irrigation.
The licensed capacity of irrigation dams already constructed or approved.
Additional water supplied from irrigation schemes (e.g. the Cressy Longford Irrigation Scheme).
In general there is little use of water for irrigation in the Northern Region from bores, although there are
certain areas where groundwater is used for irrigation. Groundwater use is not measured and has therefore
not been included in this assessment.
While there are other irrigation developments under investigation, only schemes where there has been a high
level of commitment have been included in the assessment of current water availability. It is also noted that
the current water resources that have been included do not all have a high level of supply reliability; for
example direct summer takes from many rivers and streams are restricted due to low flows in summer.
The quantities of water available in each municipality, and the quantity per hectare of PAAL with Land
Capability 1-4 are shown below. Water resource availability is greatest in Dorset, Meander Valley and
Northern Midlands Municipalities (67,000 to 85,000 ML) with minimal amounts in the other municipalities.
The land most likely to be irrigated is in Land Capability Classes 1-4, although some Class 5 land is also irrigated
(generally for pasture rather than crops). The quantity of water per hectare of PAAL in Land Capability Classes
1-4 ranges from 0.1 (George Town Municipality) to 1.9 ML/ha (Dorset).
This ratio indicates greatest water availability and/or use in Dorset, Meander Valley, Break O’Day and Northern
Midlands. Water availability in Break O’Day is surprisingly high at 0.9 ML/ha, probably the result of the
intensive irrigation of dairy pastures at Pyengana, and a number of large dams and direct takes in the upper
reaches of the South Esk catchment. Availability also seems high for Flinders at 0.5 ML/ha simply because the
area of class 4 land is small (2,186 ha).
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4.16
Tourism and Recreation
Tourism is a significant contributor to the Northern Regional economy. Land use planning must support this
through appropriate policy and regulation.
According to Tourism Tasmania (2012), tourism directly and indirectly supports around 32,000 jobs throughout
the state, comprising 13.5 per cent of total Tasmanian employment. Tourism directly and indirectly contributes
$2.0 billion to the state’s economy, approximately 8.0 per cent of Tasmania’s Gross State Product. One
characteristic of tourism is the relatively high value add component of the revenue (some 80%) that accrues to
the region. The Northern Region attracts some 492,000 interstate and overseas visitors per annum (TVIS
2012), or around 56% of those to Tasmania.
The Region is rich with tourism assets including:





Natural environment and wilderness experiences (e.g. Walls of Jerusalem, Overland Track)
Landscapes (Great Western Tiers, Tamar Valley, touring routes, coastal)
Cultural and built heritage
Food and wine
Recreation and sport (golf, mountain biking, cycling, running)
Tourism in Tasmania has grown substantially over the last five years with rising visitor numbers increasing its
economic contribution to the region. Economic modelling suggests that an increase of 50,000 visitors to the
region would increase regional revenue by around $60m (2006/07 values), equating to some 800 additional
jobs dispersed throughout the region.
The economic impact of tourism operations in smaller regional settlements is significant, with the proportion
of local employment in these locations being relatively high. One characteristic of tourism is the relatively high
value add component of the revenue (some 80%) that accrues to the region.
It is often a large facility or attraction that gains the attention, however much regional tourism is based on
smaller operations and increasingly ‘experience’ based tourism that is linked to another support operation,
e.g. farming/cheese making or based on the natural amenity of the location.
Tourism in Northern Tasmania is comprised of a range of activities, small and large, that form the overall
experience. It is a network that land use planning must support through zoning and appropriate regulation.
Planning schemes need to protect existing attractors and investment and ensure that excessive regulation
does not discourage future investment.
Existing and new key attractors or activities that represent a significant investment will be zoned Major
Tourism.
Current local strategies throughout the region recognise the value of maintaining and protecting the visual and
scenic amenity of the touring routes. It is broadly recognised that this is an important factor in the
attractiveness of the region to visitors (refer to Map 6 – Scenic Management). Planning responses to these
values should manage the visual impacts of use and development along the touring route network.
4.17
Regional Policies and Actions
Policy
Action
Economic Development
ED-P1 Ensure the region examines potential ways of
increasing innovation within Northern Tasmanian economy
and in particularly encourage:
ED-A1 Develop value added economic development
initiatives that support a diversification of the existing
business, commercial and industrial sectors that reflect the
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Policy
Action

state directives of the 2011 State Economic Plan prepared
by DEDTA, which seeks to:

maximise Tasmania’s potential in key sectors as well as
grow new sectors; and

recognises that improving the ‘sustainability’ brand of
Tasmania is a key competitive advantage and
promotes production of high-value products.



Increase agricultural potential by investment in
irrigation schemes and irrigated lands.
Use and capture of the region’s abundance water.
Promote food and wine innovation.
Diversify logistics freight and port capacity.
ED-A2 Prepare and/or update local municipal Economic
Development Plans that strengthen the economic base of
local governments and communities that support regional
significant strategies.
Industrial Land
ED-P2 Ensure land use planning and infrastructure networks
support the development of:

High value agriculture and food products;

Digital economy – i.e. the rollout of the NBN.

Vibrant, creative and innovative activity centres as
places of employment and lifestyle; and

Diverse tourism opportunities.
ED-P3 Ensure that industrial zoned and serviced land is
available in good strategic locations and is zoned to provide
at least a 10 year supply of industrial zoned lands.
ED-A3 Ensure planning schemes specifically identify suitably
located lands to be zoned for industrial development and
employment purposes to reflect the updated DEDTA
Industrial Land Demand Tasmania (Short, Medium and Long
Term Overview) 2040 Study and that the region is well
placed to capture economic opportunities specifically:

future industrial land is integrated with the location
and function of existing major freight and port
networks; and

allow for emerging industry sectors and innovations,
such as those in the growing renewable energy sector
ED-A4 Analyse the industrial land demand to 2040 and
demonstrate that there will sufficient land supply to be
zoned for industrial development that is supported with
provision of necessary infrastructure (transport, water and
sewerage and energy) network requirements.
Training and Education
ED-P4 Ensure suitable training and education opportunities
exist to meet the challenges facing the North with regards
to the regional economy and work force:

Ageing;

Out-migration of young people;

Low literacy/education/skilled workers;

Lack of diversity in the economy;

Lack of support and training facilities, and;

Availability of affordable housing.
ED-P5 Ensure all Northern Tasmanians have an economic
capacity to improve their lifestyle and are engaged in
employment either fulltime or part-time to enjoy a
reasonable standard of living and access to basic services.
Rural Land Natural Productive Resources
ED-P6 Encourage sustainable and appropriate land use
planning practices that seek to manage the sustainable
development and use of the region’s natural resources.
ED-P7 Prevent the loss of potential future rural production
(including agriculture, mineral extraction, forestry) through
the implementation of the regions land use strategy.
ED-A5 Identify the existing requirements of industry
employers and the skills/services that are required in the
labour force. This process should achieve the following
goals
build upon opportunities for employment in new, emerging
and growth industries; and
facilitate transition to new employment and training
opportunities in response to local redundancies.
ED-A6 Apply regional consistent GIS spatial methodology
and mapping to the identification of potentially available
agricultural land to ensure the protection of land that is
capable to be used for agricultural productive value.
ED-A7 Protect the long term operation of rural industries
and to facilitate a growing agricultural sector.
ED-A8 Recognise the rollout of irrigation schemes in the
region and ensure that these agricultural lands and future
irrigation areas are appropriately zoned for primary
production and protected from incompatible uses.
ED-A9 Limit the encroachment of Rural Living and l
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Policy
Action
Environmental Living styles of development onto existing
and potential agricultural lands.
ED-P8 Manage the region’s natural economic resources to
sustainably and efficiently meet the needs of existing and
future communities.
ED-A10 Identify and protect regionally significant extractive
industry resources in conjunction with state agencies such
as DIER and DEDTA.
ED-A11 Identify and protect natural economic resource
areas from further fragmentation and inappropriate land
use.
ED-A12 Identify and protect extractive and mineral
resources for potential future extraction, including
providing appropriate transport corridors and buffers, and
ensuring that planning preserves the opportunity for
discovery and development of new resources in appropriate
areas.
ED-A13 Protect, manage and enhance marine, estuarine
and freshwater habitats from development that would
impact upon sustainable fish stock levels to maximise
fisheries production for the ongoing benefit of the
community.
Tourism
ED-P9 Ensure tourism business development is guided by
informed research and economic strategies that develop
key strategies, initiatives and projects to enhance the range
of tourism and visitor experiences within the Northern
Region.
ED-P10 Support the development of the tourism sector
through land use planning by ensuring land use planning
policies and principles do not unnecessarily restrict tourism
use and development.
ED-P11 Ensure planning schemes provide opportunity
to identify, protect and enhance distinctive local
characteristics and landscapes.
ED-A14 As part of the Region’s Economic Development Plan
consider the regions tourism strategy focused on market
position and feasible numbers, segmentation and
conversion to optimise revenue and yield to expand and
enhance the range of tourism and visitor experiences and
address broad issues affecting tourism, including skills
shortages, improving competitiveness and marketing and
the following specific items:

complement the region’s Open Space Strategy with a
cultural heritage considerations;

facilitate supply side support programs to deliver on a
strategy for existing and new operators;

identify key tourism investment sites; and

promote support tourism infrastructure investment as
part of the region’s Infrastructure Plan.
ED-A15 Support the implementation of the Trail of Tin
Dragon Master Plan 2004 and prioritise the completion of
all 18 key projects that the master plan identifies to
complete the trail.
ED-A16 Identify key tourism sites for Major Tourism
zoning and make provision within that zone for existing
facilities and future proposals that may enhance the visitor
experience. Examples of existing facilities include
Barnbougle and Lost Farm golf courses, Franklin House,
Country Club Casino, Entally House, Quamby Country Club,
White Sands Resort and Greens Beach Golf Course.
ED-A17 Provide opportunities to economically support rural
land uses (e.g. farming) by allowing diversification through
tourism use and development.
ED-A18 Encourage the establishment of small tourism
businesses by allowing flexible locations and minimising
regulation, such as working from home and farm gate
tourism.
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Policy
Action
ED-P12 Ensure that planning schemes do not unnecessarily
restrict new innovations in the tourism sector and
acknowledge that planning schemes cannot always predict
future tourist sites/developments.
ED-A19 Planning authorities must consider the full range of
options such as amendments or S 43A applications to
enable support for tourism proposals.
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4.18
Social Infrastructure and Community
4.1 To provide high quality social, community facilities, and living
Desired Regional Outcome
To provide high quality social facilities, and living environments to meet the education, health, care and
living needs and facilitate resilient and liveable communities that have healthy, happy, and productive
lives.
4.18.1 Regional Overview
Social infrastructure refers to the community facilities, services and networks which help communities meet
their social needs and maximise their potential wellbeing. Social infrastructure in the region includes a broad
range of facilities and services including those pertaining to education and training, health, recreation, sport,
emergency services, religion, arts and culture, community meeting spaces; and those targeted at people at
particular stages in the lifecycle, those with special needs and culturally diverse people. A vibrant community
is also once that protects and acknowledges is cultural heritage both aboriginal and non-aboriginal.
The planning and delivery of social infrastructure is shared between local, state and federal government, notfor-profit organisations, community organisations and the private sector. The regional planning project
provides an opportunity to ensure that social infrastructure planning does not occur in isolation and is
coordinated to encourage opportunities for shared uses and to maximise efficiencies. Broader specific issues
pertaining to social inclusion are to be considered when planning and delivery social infrastructure to ensure it
supports a wider range of social and community development issues and strategies such as the Tasmanian
Plan for Positive Ageing, Tasmanian Homelessness Plan and other key policies shown below.
Key Policies, Strategies & Legislation









Tasmania Together
Social Inclusion Strategy (Social Inclusion Commissioner, DPAC, 2009)
Regional Employment Plan (Keep Australia Working Committee, 2010)
Kids Come First Report 2009 (Department of Health and Human Services)
Tasmania’s Health Plan
Tasmanian Skills Strategy: The Themes and Actions 2009 – 2012 (Skills Tasmania, 2009)
Tasmanian Homelessness Plan 2010-2013 (Department of Health and Human Services)
Tasmanian Plan for Positive Ageing (Department of Premier and Cabinet)
Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993
Cultural Heritage
Key Policies, Strategies and Legislation





Tasmania Together
State Coastal Policy 1996
Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993
Aboriginal Relics Act 1975
Historic Cultural Heritage Act 1995
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4.19
Regional Policies and Actions
Policy
Action
Social Infrastructure
SI-P01 Identify and plan for social infrastructure in
sequence with residential development.
SI-A01 Investigate the social infrastructure for the region
and considers:
 A needs analysis;
 Identification of locally appropriate standards of
service;
 Gaps in supply and assesses future needs;
 An implementation plan;
 Monitoring and review.
SI-A02 Ensure that planning schemes do not preclude the
use and development of community gardens within
residential areas.
SI-P02 Provide social infrastructure that is well located and
accessible in relation to residential development, public
transport services, employment and educational
opportunities.
SI-P03 Provide multi-purpose, flexible and adaptable social
infrastructure that can respond to changing and emerging
community needs over time.
SI-P04 Allow for a greater choice in housing types.
SI-P05 Protect the operation of existing and planned
education/training facilities from conflicting land uses.
Cultural Heritage
CH-P01 Recognise, retain and protect cultural heritage
values in the region for their character, culture, sense
of place, contribution to our understanding of history.
SI-A03 Allow for increased housing densities in locations
that are accessible to shops, transport networks, shops and
other community services and facilities.
SI-A04 Ensure that planning schemes facilitate the
provision of social housing in residential areas.
SI-A05 Planning schemes are to facilitate the co-location
of community facilities and services and encourage multipurpose, flexible and adaptable social infrastructure.
SI-A06 Provide flexibility in planning schemes to allow for
a greater choice of housing types in residential areas,
particularly in centrally located areas.
SI-A07 Ensure that existing and planned education and
training facilities are appropriately zoned and protected
from conflicting land uses.
CH-A01 Investigate planning means to recognise and list
places, precincts of heritage significance within planning
schemes and spatially define them with associated map
overlays. – Separate cultural heritage places and landscapes
CH-A02 Ensure that planning schemes include triggers to
enable appropriate planning assessment of impacts to the
key values of heritage listed places, precincts and
landscapes.
CH-P02 Recognise and manage archaeological values
throughout the region to preserve their key values.
CH-A03 Ensure recognised significant cultural heritage and
archaeological sites are protected by subdivision design and
placement of structures.
CH-A04 Ensure development that includes soil disturbance
within areas of archaeological significance is undertaken in
accordance with archaeological management plans to
ensure values are not lost.
CH-P03 Standardise statutory heritage management at the
local level as much as possible.
CH-A05 Listings in planning schemes should be based on a
common regional inventory template and heritage
provisions should be consistent in structure and expression.
CH-A06 Base heritage management upon the Burra Charter
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with heritage provisions in planning schemes drafted to
confirm with relevant principles therein.
CH-A07 State and local government, in consultation with
the community, to determine an agreed set of criteria for
determining the relative significance of important
landscapes and key landscape values.
CH-A08 Assess landscape values within the region to
determine and provide protective mechanisms for
landscapes of regional significance.
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4.20
Regional Environment
Desired Regional Outcome
Improve the region’s response to the protection and conservation of the natural environment, including
the management and use of productive resources such as agricultural lands, natural resources and
water resources, coastal environments, natural hazards and climate change adaption responses.
4.20.1
Biodiversity & Native Vegetation
Regional Overview
Northern Tasmania has a diverse, unique and nationally recognised natural environment created by a large
variation in altitude, water availably and soil types. There is a broad range of vegetation communities across
the region including alpine communities, temperate rainforest, wet and dry sclerophyll forests, coastal
heathlands, wetlands, grasslands and moorlands.
It includes the bioregions of Flinders, Ben Lomond, Northern Midlands and Northern Slopes and several geoconservation sites of world significance (refer to Map 7 – Geo-conservation and Map 8 Catchments). Map 7
illustrates the types and landforms which are sensitive to large scale use and development or drainage
changes.
Notwithstanding the protection of threatened vegetation and fauna through existing legislation such as the
Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 (Tas) or the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
Act (Commonwealth), vegetation cover is under constant threat from changing land uses, land clearing and to
some extent urban development.
The NRM map ‘Percentage Native Vegetation Cover per Sub Catchment’ illustrates the native vegetation cover
found in the Region. Map 9 demonstrates the Region’s protected reserves.
Developing a regional strategy and consistent approach to vegetation and habitat management will deliver a
co-ordinated response to the protection of biodiversity and native vegetation. Of equal significance is the
spatial identification of biodiversity values, biodiversity corridors, ecological communities, threatened species
and habitat and native vegetation rather than simply relying upon State Government TasVeg data.
To some extent habitat values have been mapped by NRM North and Councils which provides a basis for
triggering further investigation when a development is proposed. The Conservation Information System
currently being developed by DPIPWE will assist with the consideration and identification of biodiversity values
and could possibly assist with the development of criteria for the Region.
A review of each of the current local strategies and schemes reveals some common values and objectives in
regard to biodiversity. Although there are some differences in the regulatory approach, all strategies and
schemes take the approach that habitat protection (primarily vegetation management) provides for both flora
and fauna values.
The common issues and values identified are:
 Protection and enhancement of ecological processes and genetic diversity/ biodiversity.
 Identification and protection of significant threatened species.
 Minimisation of habitat loss.
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Key Policies, Strategies and Legislation









Tasmania Together
NRM North Weed Management Strategy 2004
NRM North Strategy 2005
Tamar NRM Strategy 2007
Vision East 2030 – The East Coast Land Use Framework
Tamar Estuary and Foreshore Management Plan 2008
Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993
Threatened Species Protection Act 1995
Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
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4.21
Natural Hazards
Natural hazards are usually unpredictable and can have disastrous impacts on communities and the
environment. They are usually metrological or geological in nature but on occasion may involve human
activity, such as contamination of land. An increasing influence on some natural hazards is the global climate
that is predicted to undergo significant change over this century. This potentially will have widespread impact
on the Region’s environment and communities (refer to Map 10 – Natural Hazards).
Measures to reduce the growth of greenhouse emissions are an important response to the threat of climate
change; however, adaptation to climate change also needs to be part of the response. Land use planning has a
role in adapting to climate change by mitigating the affects with spatial planning decisions which reduce the
natural hazard risk, ensure sustainable transport systems emerge and enable adaptable designs which are
climate “friendly and support innovative measures for renewable energy efficiency, water harvesting and reuse, recycled materials and micro generation systems.”
The impacts will affect a range of services and systems in the Region, including social, natural and economic
domains with the specific hazards including:
 Acid sulphate soils
 Bushfire
 Contaminated land
 Flooding
 Land Instability
 Salinity
 Sea level rise and storm surge
 Soil erosion
Land designated for housing, industry, community and infrastructure services must not be located within or
adjacent to areas which are vulnerable to an unacceptable level of risk including coastal inundation, landslip,
flooding or contaminated land.
Some developments however can sustain some level of risk; it depends upon the consequences for that
development. For example the inundation of a road has a different consequence to the flooding of a
retirement village. It is recommended that that development avoids high risk areas but allows for managing
the consequences of low level risk in instances where this is feasible.
Key Policies, Strategies and Legislation





State Coastal Policy 1996
Tasmania Together
Tasmanian Salinity Strategy 2007
Draft Climate Change Strategy 2006
Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993
Other Documents



DPIWE Tasmanian Acid Sulphate Soils Management Guidelines
Tasmanian Fire Service - Guidelines for Development in Bushfire Prone Areas of Tasmania
Land stability maps, geological maps and urban landslide hazard maps from Mineral Resources
Tasmania
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Page 110
4.22
Climate Change Adaption
There is now sufficient scientific evidence to support the theory of enhanced greenhouse effect (global
warming). Although the rate of warming and the implications will continue to be worked through, the
processes involved and the sources of the problem are well understood, making it possible to take steps now
to reduce contributing emissions and remove Carbon from the air (sequestration).
Climate change is an important issue for the communities of the Region. Even with a reduction in greenhouse
gas emissions, the projected impacts of global climate over this century will potentially create many risks as
well as opportunities. Climate change has the potential to impact upon a wide range of activities, services and
systems in the Region, cutting across natural, social and economic domains. It will involve a change in average
temperature and rainfall, as well as more frequent instances of frosts, heat waves, droughts and floods.
Climate projections are experience higher average temperatures and will be subject to lower average rainfall,
particularly during winter and spring i.e. more hot days and less cold nights in Tasmania. Northern Tasmania
could see a significant decline in the number of sub zero Celsius days that will have significant implications for
agriculture, in particular stone fruit and apples.
Apart from the West Coast and Central Highlands, evaporation is likely to rise, with effects on surface water
resources and farming operations. The predicted climate changes impacts for Northern Tasmania includes
more extreme weather events, hotter and drier summers, warmer winters and increased flooding and rising
sea levels leading to coastal realignment and inundation.
Potential impacts will have an impact upon the following important elements of land use and development:
 Infrastructure-including location and design measures to allow adaption;
 Water-the availability of water is a key issue;
 Transport-change in climate may alter long term performance and durability;
 Energy-demand, reliability and availability will change;
 Biodiversity-many individual species and entire ecosystems are extremely vulnerable to climate change;
and
 Land- fire, floods and drought regimes will change.
Given the long lead time of many planning decisions and projections of future ongoing climate change, the
Region needs to define and prioritise the issues now. Early action will ensure the best use of resources in both
mitigating and adapting to the predicted changes and make the Region less vulnerable and limit the higher
costs of future climate change.
Integration and regional coordination is needed to align policies and programs between the Councils and
different levels of government and to ensure consistency between responses and initiatives driven by
community objectives.
The Region needs to consider the impacts of climate change in setting the land use policy regime for the future
and ultimately in the development of new planning schemes. Options for adaption are wide ranging and can
include technological, infrastructure, planning and regulatory measures.
Climate change adaption is inherent in many of the policies of this regional land use strategy, including those
referring to:
 Settlement – encouraging a more compact Urban Growth Boundary Area and development that is
well integrated with transport systems;
 Native vegetation protection;
 Water sensitive urban design;
 Transportation – encouraging use of public and active modes;
 Natural hazards - avoiding development on land subject to coastal and bushfire hazards;
 The protection of land for renewable energy.
Page 111
Key Policies, Strategies and Legislation




4.23
State Coastal Policy 1996
Tasmania’s Action Plan to Reduce Emissions 2011
Tasmanian Framework for Action on Climate Change including Indicative Mapping of Tasmanian
Coastal Vulnerability and Seal Level Rise
Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993
Open Space and Recreation
Open space contributes to the quality of life enjoyed by the community. Well-planned, designed and
implemented open space planning polices aid in the delivery of personal, social and environmental objectives
to the community. It can also provide significant economic benefits with events, recreation activities and
tourism (refer to Map 11 – Recreation and Open Space).
Open space can be defined as any land and water setting that is maintained and managed for a range of
environmental purposes and are used and valued by the community. Such spaces can include small
neighbourhood parks, trials, sporting and leisure services, tracks and regional environmental parks. They can
be either publicly or privately owned and include sporting facilities which may serve the community at a local,
sub regional or regional level.
Planning for a regional system open space and recreation system can provide numerous benefits including:
 Conservation of natural and cultural values;
 Encouragement of healthy lifestyles;
 Creation of spaces for holding cultural and social events and functions;
 Enhancement of urban area amenity;
 Provision of opportunities for a diverse range of physical activities;
 Contribution to climate change adoption and mitigation (e.g. through carbon storage, buffers to sea level
rise and by encouraging non-motorised transport); and
 Maintenance of utilitarian values, such as water storage and quality, flood mitigation, and environmental
services (e.g. clean air).
Key State and Regional Policies, Strategies and Legislation










4.24
Tasmania Together
State Coastal Policy 1996
Tasmanian Open Space and Planning Framework 2010
North Eastern Tasmania Sustainable Coastal Camping Strategy 2000
Northern Tasmania Regional Recreation Strategy 2002
Northern Tasmania Regional Recreation Trails Strategy 2004
Tamar Valley Regional Open Space System 2004
Tamar Estuary and Foreshore Management Plan 2000
Local Government (Building & Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1993
Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993
Coasts, Waterways and Wetlands
Regional Overview
Coasts, waterways and wetlands are dynamic environments that are susceptible to damage when subjected to
poor management practices or poorly planned developments. The impacts caused by damage to waterways
often extend beyond the actual site. Historically, planning schemes have contained simple provisions relating
to water quality.
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There is a relatively strong recognition for the importance of water quality at the State and local levels. Policy,
legislation and regulatory response frameworks are relatively well provided across the three levels of
government. Within Tasmania, the more recent planning schemes have consistently contained specific
provisions regarding water quality and water courses, usually in the form of schedules.
Common issues that will benefit from a regional approach include:
 The management of water resources to manage the impacts of development in terms of ground and
surface waters;
 The need to maintain or improve water quality values as a result of the development process;
 The need to consider impacts of development on the natural processes of fresh, coastal and estuarine
environments.
Key Policies, Strategies and Legislation














4.25
State Coastal Policy 1996
State Stormwater Strategy
Tasmania Together
NRM North Strategy
NRM Tamar Strategy
Wetlands Strategy for Tasmania (DPIW)
State Policy on Water Quality Management 1997
Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993
Environmental Management & Pollution Control Act 1994
Water Management Act 1999
Inland Fisheries Act 1995
Forest Practices Act 1985 & Forest Practices Regulations 1997
Local Government Act 1993
Public Health Act 1997
Regional Landscape and Scenic Amenity
Regional Overview
There is currently no aggregated view by any agency or authority in regard to scenic values for the region,
other than broad references in the State of the Environment Report and Tasmania Together regarding the
need for landscape management for natural values and tourism outcomes.
The common issues and values identified are:
 Importance of scenic landscapes as viewed from major roads and tourist routes/destinations as
contributing to economic basis of the tourism industry as well as local visual amenity;
 Importance of natural/native vegetation in contributing to scenic values of rural and coastal areas
generally, with particular emphasis on prominent topographical features;
 Protection of skylines and prominent hillsides from obtrusive development/works.
DPIWE (2000) produced a document - the Planning Guidelines for Urban Skylines and Hillfaces – to assist in the
planning and management of the visual and other values of skylines and hillfaces around Tasmania’s major
urban areas.
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Key Policies, Strategies and Legislation

4.26
Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993
Regional Policies and Actions
Policy
Action
Biodiversity and Native Vegetation
BNV-P01 Implement a consistent regional approach to
protecting and enhancing the region’s biodiversity, native
vegetation communities and native fauna habitats including
comprehensive spatial regional biodiversity mapping.
BNV-P02 Restrict land clearing and disturbance of intact
natural habitat and vegetation areas, including areas of
forest and non-forest communities declared under the
Nature Conservation Act, coastal wetlands and remnant
and appropriate cultural vegetation within settlement
areas.
BNV-A01 Apply appropriate zoning or overlays through
planning schemes to protect areas of native vegetation.
BNV-A02 Implement a planning assessment approach
consistent with the ‘avoid, minimise, mitigate, offset’
hierarchy.
BNV-A03 Include requirements in planning schemes for
environmental assessments where a development
application may impact on the habitats of native species.
BNV-A04 Accept offsets as a last resort and only where
there is a net conservation benefit, security of the offset in
perpetuity and based upon the relevant State Guidelines.
BNV-A05 Identify setbacks from reserved land, including
coastal reserves, forest reserves and waterways;
BNV-A06 Further investigate regional biodiversity aiming:
 To protect, conserve and enhance the region’s
biodiversity in consideration of the extent, condition
and connectivity of critical habitats and priority
vegetation communities and the number and status of
vulnerable and threatened species;
 To ensure that use and development is carried out in a
manner that assists the protection of biodiversity by:
 Minimising native vegetation and habitat loss or
degradation;
 Appropriately locating buildings and works.
 To develop a methodology that defines triggers and
priorities for important habitat in assessing
development.
 To support the code by developing a series of
assessment criteria to determine whether a
development should be approved with or without
conditions or refused.
BNV-P03 Ensure that land use planning minimises the
spread and impact of environmental weeds.
BNV-P04 Ensure land use planning processes are consistent
with any applicable conservation area management plans
or natural resource management strategy.
Open Space and Recreation
OSR-P01 To provide for an integrated open space and
recreation system that contributes to social inclusion,
community
health
and
well-being,
amenity,
environmental sustainability and the economy.
OSR-P02
Improve open space planning outcomes
BNV-A07 Ensure that appropriate conditions are included
on permits involving land disturbance and in landscaping
requirements.
OSR-A01 Identify an open space strategy that is consistent
with the Tasmanian Open Space Policy and Planning
Framework 2010.
OSR-A02 Prepare municipal audits and plans for open
space supply in accordance with the process provided in
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through the delivery of a consistent regional approach
that responds to the community’s needs and avoids
unnecessary duplication of facilities.
the Tasmanian Open Space Policy and Planning Framework
2010.
OSR-A03 Provide for a regional network of multi-use trails
in accordance with the Northern Tasmania Recreation
Trails Strategy 2004.
OSR-A04 Ensure that development is consistent with
principles identified in ‘Healthy by Design: A Guide to
Planning and Designing Environments for Active Living in
Tasmania’.
Natural Hazards
NH-P01 Ensure that future land use and urban
development minimises risk to people and property
resulting from land instability by adopting a risk managed
based approach consistent with Practice Note Guidelines
for Landslide Risk Management 2007 and AGS (2007a)
“Guideline for Landslide Susceptibility, Hazard and Risk
Zoning for Land Use Planning”; AGS (2007e) “Australian
GeoGuides for Slope Management and Maintenance”.
NH–P02 Ensure that future land use and development
minimises risk to people and property resulting from
flooding.
NH-P03 Ensure that future land use and development
minimises risk to people and property resulting from
bushfire hazard.
NH-A01 Manage further development in declared landslip
zones.
Complete regional land slide hazard mapping to allow the
identification of land susceptible to landscape hazards and
level of risk associated to specific scale and types of land
uses and developments.
NH-A02 Ensure appropriate land uses and urban
development in areas of susceptibility only where risk is
very low or that it can be managed by prescriptive controls
to avoid undue risk to persons including life of loss and
damage to property.
NH-A03 If there is doubt about the geotechnical stability
of land proposed for urban development, Council may
require a geotechnical assessment to identify risks and
mitigation techniques.
NH-A04 Include controls in planning schemes based on
current best practice to manage risk to persons and
property resulting from inundation.
NH-A05 Include controls in planning schemes based on
current best practice to minimise risk to persons and
property resulting from bushfire hazard.
NH-A06 Ensure subdivision design responds to bushfire
hazard risks by providing for alternative access, building
setbacks and buffer distances based on current best
practice.
NH-P04 Ensure that future land use and development
minimises disturbance of Acid Sulfate Soils
NH-A07 Ensure that development of land identified for
acid sulfate soils or potential acid sulfate soils is
undertaken in accordance with the Tasmanian Acid Sulfate
Soil Guidelines prepared by DPIPWE and available datasets
such as the Tasmanian Acid Sulfate Soils Information
(TASSI).
NH-P05 Minimise the impacts of land salinity to and from
development by taking a risk based approach to land
management.
NH-A08 Develop regional mapping of land salinity and
strategies for mitigating and minimising the impacts of
salinity in conjunction with state agencies such as DPIPWE,
and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality
and NRM North.
NH-P06 Where avoidance of hazards is not possible or the
level of risk is deemed acceptable, ensure best practice
construction and design techniques and management
NH-A09 Adopt the relevant risk management AS/NZS
standard as part of core management methods to
emergency, hazard and risk management.
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practices are implemented.
Climate Change Adaption
CCA-P1 Encourage energy efficient building use and design.
CCA-P2 Protect investment in new Infrastructure from the
impacts of climate change.
Coasts and Waterways
CW-P01 Protect and improve the ecological integrity of
coastal environments.
CW-P02 Limit the expansion of urban development
within the coastal zone to avoid encroachment into areas
of intact coastal environments.
CW-P03 Minimising or avoiding use or development in
areas subject to areas of high coastal hazard.
CCA-A01 Support relevant National and State Building
codes and standards
that include requirements for
development to minimise energy and water consumption
through building design and siting including use of
alternative energy sources such as solar power.
CW-A01
Planning schemes shall include appropriate
provisions to minimise the clearance of coastal vegetation,
particularly in soft sediment coastal environments which
will have increased vulnerability to sea level rise, coastal
erosion and recession and storm surge events.
CW-A02
Manage the expansion and limit further
linear expansion within the coastal zone not within the
existing settlement pattern.
CW-A03
Allow new use or development within areas
of intact coastal environments only when they are
dependent on a coastal location for operational efficiency.
CW-A04
Planning schemes shall include provisions for
land adjoining the coast, that:

Restricts development so as to minimise long term
risk to life and property and its impact on the coastal
process.

Require that the impact of engineering works on
coastal processes is adequately assessed against
appropriate engineering standards and best practice.
CW-A05 Identify those areas at high risk of sea level
rise, storm surge inundation and shoreline recession
through the use of overlays or zones within Planning
Schemes.
CW-P04 Protect
landscapes.
the
visual
integrity
of
coastal
CW-P05 Protect and manage the ecological health and
environmental values of surface and groundwater.
CW-P06 Ensure that development adopts best practice
Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) principles where
appropriate in new and redevelopment areas.
CW-A06 Planning schemes shall include, where
appropriate, provisions to protect the visual amenity of
the coast.
CW-A07 Planning schemes shall manage land
containing wetland or fishery habitats, including
wetlands and estuary areas (particularly RAMSAR
wetlands and coastal Wetlands)and impose appropriate
buffers to separate wetlands and estuary areas from
incompatible development.
CW-A08 Ensure that works undertaken on wetlands
and waterways are in accordance with the Wetlands and
Waterways Works Manual (DPIPWE, 2003, or
subsequent edition) including resources such as ‘A
Wetlands Strategy’ for Tasmania prepared by the
DPIPWE.
CW-A09 Include Water Sensitive Urban Design
(WSUD) requirements in planning schemes where
appropriate, to reduce stormwater discharge into
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waterways and to maximise stormwater quality.
CW-P07 Protect the water quality of the region’s
waterways and wetlands, including key water supply
catchments.
CW-A10 Ensure that planning scheme controls are
consistent with the Tasmanian State Policy on Water
Quality Management 1997 and the Tasmanian State
Stormwater Strategy.
CW-A11 Include provisions in planning schemes to
facilitate the protection of ecological and hydrological
integrity of water catchments, including adequate
buffers.
CW-A12 Develop a regionally consistent set of
planning scheme provisions for wetlands and waterways
that clearly identifies thresholds for matters such as
proximity (setback, location), sediment transport during
subdivisions and general provisions for water quality.
CW-P08 Recognise the importance of non-land use
planning based organisations and their strategies and
policies in managing, protecting and enhancing natural
values.
CW-A13
Consult
relevant
environmental
organisations that are active within the region such as
NRM North or similar as part of the review and
monitoring of the Regional Land Use Strategy.
Landscape and Scenic Amenity
LSA-P01 Protect the scenic/landscape amenity of key
regional tourism routes (shown in Map 11). Recognise
the:
 Importance of scenic landscapes as viewed from
major roads and tourist routes/destinations as
contributing to economic basis of the tourism
industry as well as local visual amenity;
LSA-A01 Ensure planning schemes identify scenic
corridors associated with identified tourism routes via
the application of an overlay.

Importance of natural/native vegetation in
contributing to scenic values of rural and coastal
areas generally, with particular emphasis on
prominent topographical features; and

Need to protect skylines and prominent hillsides from
obtrusive development/works.
LSA-A03 Ensure planning schemes
include
performance criteria for development within scenic
corridor overlays that address following considerations:
 location of development to avoid skylines, ridgelines
and prominent locations;
 establishment and/or retention of existing
vegetation to provide screening in combination with
other requirements for hazard management;
 bulk and form of buildings and earthworks and the
ability of development to blend with the landscape;
 obstructive impacts materials, finishes and colours of
buildings will have on the landscape; and
 whether existing native or significant exotic
vegetation within the corridor is managed to retain
the visual values from the touring route.
LSA-A04 Planning schemes to identify visually
significant topographic, natural features and landscapes
(e.g. Cataract Gorge) in an overlay with objectives and
discretionary criteria relating to the visual impact of use
and development.
LSA-P02 Protect specific topographic or natural features
of significant scenic/landscape significance.
LSA-A02 Develop a regionally-consistent approach to
determining scenic corridor overlays around identified
tourism routes. .
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4.27
The Future
Status of the Regional Land Use Strategy: RLUS
Following review by the Tasmanian Planning Commission, the RLUS will be declared a statutory instrument
under Section 30c of the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993 by the Minister for Planning. The effect
will be that the approval of new planning schemes, planning scheme amendments or projects of regional
significance must be in accordance with the Strategy. The Act also requires the Minister to ensure that the
Strategy is subject to periodic review.
Implementation and Regulation
The RLUS will be implemented by both the State and Councils within the region as it provides the basis to
guide strategic land use planning at State, regional and local levels. It does not prescribe detailed requirements
for individual land use decisions.
Comprehensive, integrated, long-term land use planning for the Region is to be reflected and delivered
through regional and local planning processes and planning instruments; including for declaration and
amendment of regional and local land use policy.
The Strategy is to represent the agreed position of the nine councils of the Region and the Tasmanian Minister
for Planning for declaration as a regional land use strategy for the purpose of Section 30C Land Use Planning
and Approvals Act 1993.
Ministerial approval of the Strategy will provide a formal context and a consistent policy position for the land
use planning processes and decisions on sustainable economic, environmental and social development of
relevance for the Region.
The planning schemes for each of the nine municipal areas within the Region are important planning
instruments for local implementation of the Strategy Planning schemes are to deal with the type and scale of
use or development in each municipal area.
The Strategy will also inform the planning processes for dealing with proposals which are unexpected or of a
size and consequence beyond the immediate considerations of the local scheme; including projects of state or
regional significance.
The Strategy will continue to apply after preparation and approval of complying planning schemes; and must
be considered in any subsequent initiative to amend or introduce a planning scheme, an interim planning
scheme or a planning scheme amendment; or to determine a proposal for use or development of state or
regional significance.
Coordination
A coordinated, integrated and comprehensive approach to implementation of the Regional Land Use Strategy
is required by the Minister for Planning, government agencies, and planning authorities of the Region to
ensure alignment and successful implementation, particularly when dealing with planning matters which may
cross jurisdictional boundaries, including for:1.
Population, employment (industrial and retail land principally) and economic forecasts, and for
development and trend data, to be used for planning and managing growth in the Region
2.
Programs and initiatives managing and/or promoting growth and development for population, housing,
employment and conservation interests based on commonwealth, state or regional considerations
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3.
Managing conservation and natural value areas, water quality and quantity, agricultural, mineral, cultural
heritage and archaeological resources
4.
Social Infrastructure and community service facility provision, including identification of nodes and
corridors, and provision and decommissioning of health and education facilities
5.
Resource allocation and development in areas such as forestry, marine farming, and minerals, water
6.
Identification, avoidance and mitigation of natural and man-made hazards
The Strategy does not identify or promote any specific arrangement for coordination of planning research and
analysis and anticipates further action as necessary to clarify and resolve the most effective and sustainable
process for meeting these requirements.
Economic Incentives
Economic incentives have largely centred on State or Council incentives to attract or retain a specific business.
The requirement for developers to pay head work costs has only been a relatively recent requirement of the
regional water authorities. The cost of providing physical and social infrastructure is a significant tool in
directing development and while it is a challenging area of economic reform it should be investigated.
Continuous Improvement
Successful land use planning must be well informed and respond to changing circumstance. The Regional Land
Use Strategy is vehicle for continuous improvement. Policies must be adjusted and embellished to reflect and
incorporate new information, to response to the unexpected, and to eliminate unintended consequence.
Implementation Plan
The following information is required to assist in developing future iterations of this regional strategy:
1.
Identify and finalise settlement area boundaries for the Urban Growth Boundary for the Region by
preparing a Regional Housing Needs Study to inform a Regional Residential Land Strategy to
demonstrate a 20 year supply of land for urban development purposes to meet the population growth,
specifically the residential and industrial land demands for controlled and infill growth and provision of
required dwellings.
2.
Prepare a Regional Industrial Land Strategy to assist with developing a Regional Economic Development
Plan for each relevant industry sector in conjunction with the State Economic Development Plan that
reflects the updated Industrial Land Demand Study - Tasmania 2040 to confirm location, scale and nature
of any future change and demand for:
a. industrial and employment land, and
b. infrastructure requirements to support the 20 year land supply within the Urban Growth Boundary.
3.
Prepare a Regional Infrastructure Plan (inclusive of Public Utilities and Social Infrastructure) that
investigates and establish implications of the required social and physical infrastructure required to
support the preferred settlement and growth pattern for urban development within the time horizon of
the Strategy
4.
Review the NRM North (Natural Resource) Management Strategy to identify the region’s biodiversity
values and identify locations of significant natural environmental value outside of existing declared
conservation areas.
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5.
Prepare a Regional Open Space Strategy that is consistent with the Tasmanian Open Space Policy and
Planning Framework 2010;
6.
Identify regionally significant mineral and extractive industry resources and develop appropriate
protection mechanisms to be incorporated into planning schemes.
7.
Identify or confirm the accuracy of current mapped locations of areas exposed to natural hazards,
including land susceptible to acid sulphate soils, land slip, bush fire, flood, and coastal locations likely to be
inundated with rise in sea level or storm surge.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
AEC Group, Oct 2004 Launceston Retail Strategy
AK Consultants, Dec 2010 Agricultural Profile Regional Summary of Northern Tasmanian Municipalities
Australian Bureau of Statistics, (2006) Household and Family Projections 2001 to 2026 (3236.0)
Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources (2007) Tasmanian State Road hierarchy
Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (2010) Tourism Planning Guide-a good practice approach
Eyles K. & McCall T., 2010 Northern Tasmania Regional Profile 2010, Institute for Regional Development,
University of Tasmania
George Town Council, 2009 Land Use Strategic Plan
Launceston City Council, Feb 2010 Launceston Industrial Strategy 2009 -2029
Launceston City Council, May Launceston Open Space Strategy
Launceston City Council May 2009 Launceston Residential Strategy 2009 -2029
Northern Tasmania Development, Nov 2009 Northern Tasmanian planning Project Discussion paper and
proposed Policy Framework.
Northern Tasmania Development, Undated, Summary of Public Comments paper
Northern Tasmania Development, undated, Strategic Planning in Northern Tasmania: A summary of current
regional and local level strategic planning studies in Northern Tasmania
Northern Midlands Council, 2008 Planning Scheme Review
Pitt & Sherry 2010 Northern Tasmanian Settlement Strategy
Northern Tasmania Regional Transport Funding Priorities, NDT, 20010-11
Renaissance Planning, Launceston Retail Audit and Activity Centres Strategy – Summary Report, July 2011
Trevor Budge, Northern Tasmania Regional Futures Paper: The development of a Northern Tasmania Regional
Strategy Plan May 2011,
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