Scrap the State Government’s Development Assessment Panel (DAP) for national parks and reserves #scrapthedap
Got a last minute submission?
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment website will accept them until midnight of Good Friday. Go to https://nre.tas.gov.au/conservation/reserve-activity-assessment-reform/have-your-say-on-reserve-activity-assessment-reform
or email directly to RAAreform@nre.tas.gov.au.
Feel free to use the text from our submission guide below to help you.
What is this about?
The state government is proposing a new process to bypass your say, and your council’s say, on development proposals in our national parks, reserves and world heritage areas.
In response to the development lobby, who want a system that will guarantee applications are approved, the proposed new process will give developers a way to exempt themselves from the rules of the existing management plans.
The ‘Statutory Environmental Impact Assessment Process’ will allow developers to ask the Minister for Parks to take applications out of the normal planning and environmental assessment process and be given to a Development Assessment Panel (DAP). The DAP’s decision will be final with no right for community or councils to appeal the outcome, and the panel itself will comprise people appointed by the minister and not our elected council representatives.
At the March 6th Scrap the DAP public meeting, Sophie Underwood from the Planning Matters Alliance said, “The proposal will allow developers to bypass councils and you – the local communities.”
The DAP will have all the power to assess and approve a development, and what is more, the DAP will have the power to change the management plan rules, potentially overriding the carefully thought through wholistic management plans in a haphazard way.
Speaking with 10 years experience, John Dowson, former deputy mayor of Fremantle WA told the Scrap the DAP public meeting..
“DAPs don’t make developments better. Just bigger.”
Want to know more? Watch the recording of Scrap the DAP public meeting
Submission GUIDE
I oppose the proposed Development Assessment Panels (DAPs) for national parks and other public reserves, for the following reasons:
Merits appeal rights removed: The community will have no right to merits-based appeals over the DAP’s approval of major developments in national parks and other reserves. The community’s right to merits-based appeals, particularly with developments in national parks and other public reserves, is paramount and must not be taken away. Merit based planning appeals are appeals based on the impacts of a development on natural and cultural values, visual qualities, tranquillity or recreational enjoyment.
Destruction of reserved land: The fast-track DAP process will result in more developments and more destruction in the world heritage area, national parks and other public reserves.
Resurrection of failed developments: Tourism developments that have been refused (Cataract Gorge gondolas in Launceston) or have had trouble getting approval and have been delayed (Lake Malbena and Rosny Hill tourism developments) could be resurrected under the proposed new DAP system and have guaranteed approval.
Resurrection of the cable car: The Government has not specially flagged the kunanyi Mt Wellington cable car but nor has it ruled it out being resurrected under this new fast-track DAP process. If assessed under the new process the Hobart City Council would be forced to hand planning authority to the DAP. The DAP’s approval of the cable car could not be appealed based on the environmental, cultural and other impacts.
Management plan rules changed to suit developers: Under the new DAP system, the rules in reserve management plans, that we have relied on to stop inappropriate developments, will mean nothing. Developers will be able to submit combined development proposals and management plan amendments, giving them a special process designed to change the rules to suit their preferred development. The changes to management plans, once approved by the DAP, cannot be challenged through an appeal.
We cannot rely on the Federal Government: These changes could lead to the state government approving all developments, threatening world heritage values and other nationally protected natural and cultural values. The state government would leave it to the Federal government to decide whether developments can go ahead, which is taking too big a risk with world heritage and other nationally important areas.
Ministerial power grab: The Minister for Parks will have greater power, being able to take any large development proposed for reserved land out of the normal assessment process and have it dealt with by the DAPs. Virtually any large development can fit the criteria and could be taken down this developer friendly pathway, giving the Minister enormous power.