Glenorchy City Council’s first meeting for 2022 was held on 31 January 2021. Council meetings have temporarily moved back online due to the current COVID situation in Tasmania.
Watch the video recording of the meeting here
2021 Development statistics
During 2021, Glenorchy City Council assessed 580 planning applications, the highest number ever recorded for the city. Of those, 458 were applications for planning permits while 122 were applications seeking confirmation that a permit was not required.
The record levels of development saw the approval of 147 applications for single dwellings and 68 applications for multiple dwelling developments (resulting in the approval of a total of 662 multiple dwellings).
Significant developments approved during the year included:
- Redevelopment of the Derwent Entertainment Centre (now MyState Arena)
- A mixed-use retail, educational, community and residential development comprising 315 multiple dwellings at the former Claremont Primary School site in Claremont
- A mixed-use commercial and residential redevelopment comprising 21 multiple dwellings in Hopkins Street, Moonah
- 55 multiple dwellings in Allunga Road, Chigwell
- 55 multiple dwellings in Abbotsfield Road, Claremont
- 37 multiple dwellings in Branscombe Road, Claremont
New delegations for Council planners
Glenorchy City Council’s town planners have been given increased powers to determine some planning applications in-house, without the need to refer applications to a formal meeting of the Glenorchy Planning Authority.
Council voted 8 votes to 1 to delegate additional powers to some senior planning staff to determine development planning permits on some applications where three or less representations have been received.
The new powers do not apply for more substantial applications of greater importance to the community.
Applications where the value of the development is greater than $1million, where the proposal is for six or more multiple dwellings or a subdivision for 5 or more lots, or where the planning authority is required to make a discretionary decision involving car parking requirements, will still be required to be decided by the GPA.
The changes have been made to increase efficiency and help reduce development assessment time frames at a time when Glenorchy is seeing record levels of development and housing is in critically short supply across Greater Hobart.
Change to Planning Authority Meeting times
Meetings of the Glenorchy Planning Authority will now be held at 4:00 pm every fourth Monday, instead of the current 5:00 pm start time.
The change in time has been made to reduce staff overtime costs required to where staff attend GPA meetings outside normal working hours.
Council heard that the record levels of development in Glenorchy and the associated pressure on planning staff meant that employees were not able to take time off in lieu of being paid overtime.
Council will publish a public notice advising of the new meeting times.
Mid-year budget review
Council revised its 2022 budget estimates at the halfway point of the financial year, resulting in an improved forecast budget deficit of $775,000, compared to the $1.325m deficit predicted when the budget was adopted in June 2021.
The improved forecast includes increased revenue of $550,000 over what was initially predicted, the result of high levels of development activity and associated applications fees, and increased usage Council’s Jackson Street Landfill, which saw an additional $150,000 in revenue.
Delays in significant grant-funded major projects also saw Council’s Capital Works program revised downwards by approximately $7 million.
Council heard that increased construction costs and availability of contractors due to the COVID situation, and delays in the negotiation of grant funding agreements, meant that expenditure on these projects was likely to be pushed back to next financial year.
The revised budget now forecasts a $19.19 million capital works program by the end of the 2022 financial year.