In what ways do policy and planning deliver quality urban public open space? : perspectives from Southern Tasmania

Hobart the state capital of Tasmania is sited along the Derwent Estuary surrounded by tracts of open space. Spread across several local council areas the capital requires new approaches to the planning and deployment of core infrastructures. Several Federal Government initiatives focusing on the design of Australian cities have linked federal funding to the development of integrated capital city plans. The stated objectives of these initiatives are to ensure that Australian cities are able to compete for investment by providing liveable and socially inclusive cities; cities capable of meeting future growth demands. Public open space is seen as making a significant contribution to the achievement of these objectives. The aim of this qualitative study was to gain an understanding of planning processes and policies relating to the delivery of Urban Public Open Space (UPOS) in order to assess whether the current planning reforms underway in Tasmania are likely to deliver on the stated objectives of the Southern Tasmanian Regional Land Use Strategy 2010- 1035 (STRLUS). Mixed research methodologies were employed to glean information from a variety of sources. Thematic analysis, of interviews with eighteen key stakeholders resulted in a number of themes. The first theme focused on the legislative constraints imposed on Councils as Planning Authorities including the very definition of Public Open Space. The second theme pertained to resourcing constraints both from a financial and skilled recourse perspective. The third theme focused on integration challenges, within councils, between council’s as land owners at a regional level and between councils and other public land owners. The fourth theme dealt with the difficulties in identifying the direct and indirect quantifiable benefits of UPOS. All themes were found to be interrelated indicating the complexity of UPOS planning and management at various scales. In conclusion the research results indicate that the current approach to planning and management of UPOS in the Greater Hobart area is unlikely to ensure that sufficient quality public open space will be delivered and maintained during the implementation of the Southern Tasmanian Regional Land Use Strategy 2010- 2035