The Government needs to listen to growing community concerns about the large-scale Huntingfield development.
Shadow Housing Minister, Alison Standen, said residents at Kingborough were angry over the Government's mishandling of this important development.
"The Premier has pinned hopes on infrastructure and housing development as a key way to build Tasmania's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, but his Government lacks credibility over its mishandling of the Huntingfield development and Channel Highway improvement," Ms Standen said.
"The Government stalled on its 2015 action plan to develop the Huntingfield estate, only to turn around in early June 2019 to rush the project through a controversial and divisive land supply order to rezone the land.
"The supposed 'fast track' process again fell into a hole for nearly a year when a community consultation process on the Master Plan promised to begin prior to Christmas, did not occur.
"Throughout this process, the Housing Minister has failed to front the community to take local concerns into account in the development of a Master Plan, and has now put this out for 'consultation' in a midst of the pandemic when people cannot gather.
"One of the key concerns is that the Master Plan fails to plan for infrastructure and essential services.
"The Liberal Government made an election promise in 2018 to improve the Channel Highway between Kingston and Margate to address concerns including traffic congestion at the existing roundabout at Algona Road and Huntingfield Avenue.
"The Government promised a Channel Highway Corridor Improvement Plan due early 2020, but this has not been delivered, and it is a vital key part of fixing existing congestion issues and coping with extra traffic from the Huntingfield development.
"In the absence of the Corridor Improvement Plan, the Housing Minister is instead proposing this large-scale development will include a second roundabout, which could compound the situation and is infuriating locals.
"This is an important project for Tasmania and will deliver much needed residential and social and affordable housing.
"The public only has another five weeks to comment on the plan and the Government must make sure it listens to the community gets the infrastructure right."
Alison Standen MP
Shadow Housing Minister
