Glenorchy Council votes to sell off Wilkinsons Point
One of the most valuable parcels of riverside land in southern Tasmania will go onto the open market.
Glenorchy City Council unanimously voted to put Wilkinsons Point up for sale. Together with the Derwent Entertainment Centre, the waterfront property is expected to attract bidders from across Australia and overseas.
But Glenorchy Mayor Kristie Johnston reaffirms that any potential developer will need to ensure the public foreshore and Lloyd Rd access remains open to the community.
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“We have been very clear with our community about public foreshore access and roadway access,” Ald Johnston told a packed public gallery at a council meeting.
“It is critical to the community and highly valued by this council.
“It makes good sense for any development to have access to occur on that site to have foreshore access and roadway access as well.”
Ald Johnston took aim at people in the community spreading lies about the potential sale and any suggestion Glenorchy Art & Sculpture Park would be lost if Wilkinsons Point was sold.
The land around the Derwent Entertainment Centre is set to be sold off.
“We saw in the past couple of weeks what can only be described as vandalism at the foreshore with flyers posted on our infrastructure and that comes at a cost (to remove).
“I certainly hope that those in the community who are intent on continuing to circulate dishonest information recognise the impact on our broader community and desist from their continued actions.”
Alderman Simon Fraser says the council will try to find a developer who wants to create something “iconic and visionary” to complement GASP.
The council received more than 30 submissions during the public consultation phase with most opposed to selling Wilkinsons Point.
Many of those objections were received after the GASP board issued a media release vowing to fight to save the land, leading many in the community to believe the public foreshore was at risk.
The 9ha parcel of land is comparable in size to Hobart’s Macquarie Point and when combined with the DEC totals 16ha. The council received expert advice from Knight Frank Tasmania and Edwards Property Consultants to sell the 16ha as a package deal.
This article from The Mercury originally appeared as “Glenorchy City Council unanimously votes to put Wilkinsons Point up for sale”.
