Hobart mayor Anna Reynolds slams council's decision to reject St Vincent de Paul's apartment building for vulnerable womenHobart's mayor says the dismissal of a development application for an apartment building for older women at risk of homelessness is one of the worst decisions by the council since she joined it.
Lord Mayor of Hobart Anna Reynolds is hoping St Vincent's de Paul, the proponent of the 38-apartment, five-storey development on Argyle Street, will appeal against the council's decision. "I hope they appeal the decision, because I think our professional planning advice got it right in that it should have been approved, and I think that if it went to tribunal, our decision would lose," Cr Reynolds said.
"We have height limits, but then you can exceed those if it doesn't, for example, loom over neighbouring residential properties, if it doesn't have other negative impacts," she said.According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, homelessness has become increasingly widespread among older women aged 55 and over, growing by nearly 40 per cent between 2011 and 2021.
While Cr Elliot told ABC Mornings she "reluctantly" voted against the project, deeming it "awkward" because of traffic issues and the loss of 35 car parks."The officer's report shows that one of those entrances off Argyle Street was actually expected to see around 500 traffic movements a day," she said."Just picturing what that would be like in real life, I think that's an obstacle and a real issue.