Planning Authority Committee - 8 Apr 2026 4.00pm

Key decisions

• City submission endorsed on draft secondary residences planning amendment
  The Planning Authority Committee endorsed the City of Hobart’s submission on Draft SPP Amendment 01-2026 of the State Planning Provisions - Secondary Residences, and resolved that the submission be published on the City’s website once lodged with the State Planning Office.
  This may affect future planning rules for secondary residences and lets residents see the City’s formal position on the proposed state planning changes.
• Undecided planning item deferred after tied vote
  An agenda item in section 7.1.1 was subject to a tied vote and the motion was lost. Because no committee decision was made, the item was deferred to the Director Strategic and Regulatory Services under delegation in sections 57 and 58 of the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993.
  A planning matter was not decided by elected members and will instead be determined administratively by the Director.
• Macquarie Point Precinct Project-related amendment carried
  An amendment referring to substantial commencement of the Macquarie Point Precinct Project was carried clause by clause, and the substantive motion was then carried.
  This indicates committee support for a planning decision connected to the Macquarie Point Precinct Project, a major city project, though the extracted text does not clearly show the full item wording.
• Delegated planning decisions report noted
  The committee received and noted the Delegated Decision Report (Planning).
  Residents can track planning decisions made under delegated authority rather than by the committee itself.
• Advertised planning applications report noted
  The committee received and noted the Planning – Advertised Applications Report.
  This provides a snapshot of current planning applications that have been publicly advertised.

Important topics

• Billboard and sign light output standards
  In response to a question from Councillor Posselt, officers said the Tasmanian Planning Scheme provisions can cover broader impacts from sign and billboard lighting, but there is currently no standard measure, scientific benchmark, or clear threshold for amenity impact. Officers are still working through how the relatively new criteria should be assessed in practice.
  Residents concerned about bright signage should note that controls exist but are still being interpreted, with no settled brightness benchmark yet.
• Potential TasCAT costs for visitor accommodation planning cases
  In response to a question from Councillor Kelly, the Director Strategic and Regulatory Services took on notice a request for the likely Council cost of Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal proceedings relating to change-of-use applications for residential visitor accommodation.
  This could affect future Council decisions about whether to contest or proceed with visitor accommodation planning matters.

Resident impacts

• Possible future changes to planning rules for secondary residences through the State Planning Provisions process.
• A planning item was not resolved by councillors and will be decided by the Director under delegated powers.
• Planning reports on delegated decisions and advertised applications were made available to the committee.
• No supplementary items were added to the agenda.
• The open portion of the meeting ended at 5.06pm before the committee moved into a closed session.

Places affected

• Hobart (city)
  City of Hobart planning submission and committee business.
• Macquarie Point Precinct (project area)
  Referenced in an amendment concerning substantial commencement of the Macquarie Point Precinct Project.
• Tasmania (state)
  State planning provisions and TasCAT proceedings were discussed.

Next steps

• Lodge the City of Hobart submission on Draft SPP Amendment 01-2026 with the State Planning Office
  After the meeting resolution
• Publish the City’s secondary residences submission on the City website
  Upon lodgment
• Determine the deferred tied-vote planning item under delegated authority
  Following the meeting
• Provide advice on likely TasCAT costs for visitor accommodation change-of-use matters
  Question taken on notice; timing not stated
• Continue developing the practical assessment approach to billboard and sign light output impacts under the Tasmanian Planning Scheme
  Ongoing

Extracted minutes text

CITY OF HOBART MINUTES PLANNING AUTHORITY COMMITTEE MEETING OPEN PORTION WEDNESDAY, 8 APRIL 2026 Minutes (Open Portion) Planning Authority Committee Meeting 8/4/2026 ORDER OF BUSINESS APOLOGIES AND LEAVE OF ABSENCE 1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY ................................................... 3 2. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES ................................................................ 3 3. CONSIDERATION OF SUPPLEMENTARY ITEMS ................................. 4 4. INDICATIONS OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ....................................... 4 5. TRANSFER OF AGENDA ITEMS ............................................................. 5 6. PLANNING AUTHORITY ITEMS - CONSIDERATION OF ITEMS WIT...