Consultation now open on building height limits

Published on 31 July 2018

A digital representation of proposed building envelopes in Precinct A. The yellow box represents a 30m-high building envelope, blue 15m and green 12m. Overview looking south-west along York Street

The City of Launceston will ask for public input on building heights in Launceston, to help guide the scale of future development in the city and provide certainty to developers.

As part of the consultation, the Council will release a draft report — the Launceston CBD Building Height and Massing Study — which comprises an analysis of the central Launceston city area.

It also provides draft advice to the Council on how height and setback controls might be developed in the future, while also protecting the historic character of Launceston.

Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said it was clear developers were seeking to realise projects of greater height and scale.

"Thus, this is an important conversation for the community to have, because we want to respect the current scale and historic fabric of Launceston's streetscape, while giving certainty to people wanting to develop in the city," Mayor van Zetten said.

"This is an opportunity for the community to let us know what they think and what they believe is appropriate.

"There is no right or wrong answer here. This report is just one piece of the puzzle; another is the community's opinion. This consultation period is a real opportunity for the public to genuinely influence the outcomes."

The draft report breaks the city down into four distinct precincts, each with proposed limits for maximum height, precinct height and street-front height.

The four precincts are:

  • Precinct A: The north-south corridor on the western edge of the city, aligned around the major one-way access roads
  • Precinct B: River-front area
  • Precinct C: City Centre area
  • Precinct D: The southern fringe of the city

Precinct name

Maximum approvable height

Deemed to
comply height

Maximum height
at street front

A

30m

15m

15m

B

24m

12m

12m

C

24m

12m

12m

D

24m

12m

12m

Any project proposed in excess of the recommended height limits would require a public planning scheme amendment process.

Public consultation on building heights in Launceston is open on the Your Voice Your Launceston website. The closing date has been extended to Friday, September 7.