THE Derwent Valley Council has tonight (Thursday) declared its intent to sell New Norfolk’s disused Kensington Park Racecourse to the State Government for a housing development. While some councillors were at pains to tell tonight’s council meeting this was not a “done deal” they then unanimously voted to start the process of disposing the public land at Kensington Park.
Other than Cr Jessica Cosgrove who declared a conflict of interest as a neighbour and left the room, the remaining councillors voted unanimously to that the council:
- resolves, in accordance with Section 178(3) of the Local Government Act 1993, an intention to dispose of the land known as Kensington Park, New Norfolk (Certificate of Title Vol 34201 Folio 1) through sale of the property to Homes Tasmania.
- authorises the general manager to undertake the notification process under Section 178(4) of the Local Government Act 1993.
- requests that the outcomes of the notification process be the subject of a future report to council.
Tonight’s meeting was the first time this proposal had been publicly discussed although the council is understood to have been in negotiations with the State Government for some time. Later, in the closed section of the meeting, councillors received a report headed “Presentation of offer to purchase – Homes Tasmania.” After the meeting, mayor Michelle Dracoulis said councillors had approved that item, with an amendment. That was the only information the council would make public.
Under the disposal process approved earlier in the meeting, the public will have 21 days to comment on the proposed sale after it has been publicly advertised by the council. The 9ha site has not been used for horseracing in several years. A section of Crown land adjoining the property is leased to the Derwent Valley Horseriders Association and Derwent Pony Club, who were represented in the public gallery tonight and expressed concern about future access to their site, which was accessed via a driveway through Kensington Park from Kensington St. Cr Dracoulis took the question on notice.
More to come
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