The Tasmanian Planning Information Network (TasPIN) is a not-for-profit community organisation established by people who care about good Planning. We work to raise community awareness and informed involvement in Planning through providing easy access to information, articles, expert opinion, images and community views about Planning matters and good practice. TasPIN was originally formed in response to serious community concerns with the Tasmanian government's proposed new Planning law reforms and their implications. TasPIN helps to explain these complex Planning issues and why they matter. Community understanding and informed involvement in Planning processes is vital to securing political commitment for a sound, integrated, strategically focused Planning system for Tasmania – one that will protect what is special and valued by the community, is respectful of and trusted by the community, and can guide and deliver the best possible sustainable future for Tasmania's social, economic and environmental well-being.
TasPIN is made up of local community groups, planning professionals, academics, and caring individuals from Hobart and across Tasmania who are deeply concerned by the Tasmanian Government's current approach to Planning and what it means for the future of our beautiful island state and the values Tasmanians care most about. TasPIN members all share the same concern - that the new statewide Planning Scheme and associated Planning reforms are not in the best interests of the community and will NOT deliver the best possible future for Tasmania. In many ways the new State Planning Provisions will be detrimental to the things Tasmanians care most about - our quality lifestyle, our environment, and our natural and built heritage.
TasPIN wants everyone to understand that Planning laws are important and will affect us all. Planning laws can have significant positive or negative impacts on our living environment, lifestyles, and on Tasmania's natural and built heritage. For example, poor planning can give rise to: significant impacts on people's individual homes and back yards through loss of privacy, access to sunlight and/or views; excessive crowding and congestion with associated traffic and parking problems; undesired changes to the appearance and 'feel' of suburbs, towns, cities and rural areas with associated loss of much-loved local area character and charm; inappropriate developments in the wrong places (e.g. tall skyscrapers in low-rise Hobart; significant commercial developments in national parks); inadequate provision of and/or access to community services, public parks and open spaces; elimination of green leafy suburbs and homes with spacious backyards; impacts on natural scenery and viewfields; poor environmental quality (e.g. water quality, noise levels); and impacts on Tasmania's world-renowned wilderness and wildlife.
Numerous community leaders and groups* are now voicing similar concerns about Tasmania's new statewide Planning Scheme law and the way in which it has been developed (with minimal involvement of the public and excessively close involvement of commercial property development interests). Quite simply, this not what good Planning looks like. An ad hoc 'development-at-any-cost' approach to Planning is not the right way - and will surely fail - to deliver the best long-term outcomes.
There is growing momentum for Tasmania to get its Planning system right. TasPIN believes Tasmania deserves a sound, community-supported Planning system that will deliver the optimal sustainable future for Tasmania. To achieve this, multi-party support is needed to create an enduring shared vision for Tasmania, supported by a sound Planning system to deliver that vision.
Good Planning starts with respectful conversations about what people value, the places they care about, and what they want for Tasmania's future. Only with authentic, meaningful community engagement can we start to build a community-supported plan that will deliver the optimal mix of desired social, economic and environmental outcomes for Tasmania's best possible future.
To join TasPIN's growing network of supporters, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and ask for your name to be added to our contacts list.
PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TO SUPPORT OUR CAMPAIGN FOR BETTER PLANNING FOR TASMANIA
To make a donation:
1. via internet banking:
Account name: Taspin
Account number: 144242187
BSB: 633 108
IMPORTANT: If donating via internet banking you must also send an email to TasPIN - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - alerting us to your donation. We can then issue you with a receipt.
2. By cheque:
Please make cheques out to Tasmanian Planning Information network and post to Treasurer, c/- Eric Pinkard, 7 Ogilvie St, Mount Stuart Tas 7000
3. To make a donation by a different payment method, please email TasPIN at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone Anne Harrison (mobile 0419 585 291)
Note: TasPIN does not charge any administrative fee so all your donation will be put to good work in supporting the campaign for better Planning for Tasmania. (Donations to TasPIN are not tax deductible.)
THANK YOU!
* 57 community groups have now come together as the Planning Matters Alliance Tasmania (PMAT) to campaign for better Planning for Tasmania. Member groups of PMAT include welfare, recreation, environment, urban/local community associations, European built heritage, rate payers and Friends of groups and include:
Anglicare Tasmania
Beaumaris Action Network
Blackmans Bay Residents Action Group
Climate Action Northwest
Coal River Valley Sustainable Living Group
Cremorne Community Action Group
Earth Ocean Network (Bicheno)
Far South Future
Freycinet Action Network
Friends of Great Western Tiers
Friends of North Bruny Inc (FONB Inc.)
Friends of the Tamar Valley
Friends of Wirksworth
Heritage Protection Society (Tas) Inc
Hobart Dog Walking Association Inc.
Hobart Not Highrise Inc
Howden Progress Association Inc
Huon Valley Residents & Ratepayers Association (Inc)
Let's Grow Tasmania's Future
Mount Stuart Residents Inc
New Town Community Association Inc
North East Bioregional Network
Precinct 33 Amendments Group (Sandy Bay, Hobart)
Residents Opposed to the Cable Car
Seymour Community Action Group
St Helens Point Progress Association
Tasmanian Aquaculture Reform Alliance
Tasmanian National Parks Association
The Bob Brown Foundation
Bay of Fires Coastal Preservation Lobby
Better Hobart
BirdLife Tasmania
Central North Field Naturalists
Council of Hobart Community Associations
Environment Tasmania
Friends of Four Mile Creek
Friends of the Blue Tier
Glebe Residents’ Association
Kangaroo Bay Voice (Bellerive)
Marine Protection Tasmania
Neighbours of Fish Farming
No Fish Farms in Tasmania’s East Coast Waters
Rosny Hill Friends Network
South Hobart Progress Association
Southern Beaches Conservation Society
Swansea Group
Tasmanian Conservation Trust
Tasmanian Planning Information Network
Tasmanian Ratepayers Association Inc. (TRA)
The Friends of the Leven
The Tasmanian Dog Walking Clubs Inc.
The Wilderness Society
Waterworks Valley Community Group
Woodbridge Community Association
Wynyard Landcare
Waterworks Valley Landcare Group
and others.