The way we plan? Should plan? Could plan?

A group opposing the state government’s new planning scheme reforms has also put Labor and the Greens “on notice”. ........... On Thursday [July 6], Planning Matters Alliance Tasmania, a coalition of more than 40 community groups, launched its campaign to lobby political parties to reverse the reforms proposed under the Tasmanian Planning Scheme. ........... The TPS will take effect in early 2018, seeking to consolidate several disparate schemes under a single statewide system. But PMAT claims the new scheme will impact on quality of life in Tasmania’s urban and suburban areas. ........... The group says the TPS is a “weakening” of the state’s existing planning laws. ........... PMAT spokeswoman Sophie Underwood said the group intended to campaign in the lead-up to the state election, endeavouring to “improve” the statewide planning scheme. Ms Underwood said the new scheme would impact on housing density, heritage values and national parks and reserves,. ........... She also said Tasmania would see taller houses being built. ........... “Someone can build a house right next door to you that’s eight-and-a-half metres high, it’s built close to your fence and it can take your views, your privacy and sunshine and there’s not a lot you can do about it,” Ms Underwood said. ........... Mr Gutwein said the prospective establishment of a statewide planning scheme was a policy the Hodgman government had taken to the 2014 election. ........... “It has already been comprehensively consulted on, has passed through both houses of Parliament and been through the required statutory process,” Mr Gutwein said. ........... He said the TPS would put “consistent rules in place right across the state, removing the previous patchwork of different rules”. ........... The state government, Mr Gutwein said, was committed to implementing a “faster, fairer, simpler and cheaper” planning system. ........... Opposition planning spokeswoman Madeleine Ogilvie said Labor “support[ed] and encourag[ed]” the formation of PMAT and looked forward to working with the group “in a collaborative way, drawing upon the collective experiences of its members to improve planning regulation and policy for Tasmania”. ........... Greens planning spokeswoman Rosalie Woodruff also welcomed the formation of PMAT. ........... She said the Greens wished to retain the structure of a single statewide planning scheme, with some caveats. ........... She said a “substantial review” of the scheme was needed, so as to take into account communities, the environment and built heritage and aboriginal heritage values."