SHONKY STUFF GOING ON AT TOWN HALL ... AGAIN
The City of Launceston approved another land transfer at Inveresk to the University of Tasmania on Monday but concerns were raised about UTAS’ transparency during the debate.
The site, which UTAS occupies on a 99-year lease, includes the Exhibition Building containing the school of architecture, the furniture school building and the Stone Building..........
The decision on Monday was merely the council fulfilling the requirements of an agreement made in 2012, Alderman Robin McKendrick said upon moving the motion..........
Aldermen McKendrick was a member of the council in 2012 but could not vote on the matter as he had declared a pecuniary interest..........
Alderman Danny Gibson, who voted against the motion along with Aldermen Emma Williams and Karina Stojansek, said when the original agreement was made the council “could not contemplate” the UTAS relocation project that was later proposed. .........
“Did the university have a bigger plan of which we were not aware of, I’m not sure, were they aware of a bigger plan and they chose not to share it with us?,” Alderman Gibson said. .........
“Of course the relationship moving forward, over the ensuing five years, and the drip-feed nature of which they have kind of taken off bits to get where they have now must be contemplated. .........
TRANSFER APPROVED: A map from the City of Launceston's meeting agenda from Monday, February 19 showing the land which was transferred to UTAS.
TRANSFER APPROVED: A map from the City of Launceston's meeting agenda from Monday, February 19 showing the land which was transferred to UTAS..........
“[With] the dealings with UTAS over the past five years, and the way that they have kind of ticked off their list to get what they want, without sharing the overarching vision at the beginning … it’s impossible not to join the two decisions together.”
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In 2012 the then-aldermen voted 8-3, with one absent, to enter an “in principal” agreement with UTAS to transfer the existing sites and give a freehold title to a narrow strip of land along the North Esk River bank, where student accommodation has been constructed.
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The formalisation of that agreement went before the council on Monday, but the exact valuation of the land to be transferred was not detailed in the public version of the meeting agenda.
......... UTAS land transfer to go before council
Soil testing starts at Inveresk as part of Northern Transformation Plan
This saw the council go in and out of closed sessions multiple times at Monday’s meeting.
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Part of the deal was for UTAS to contribute $500,000 to the council’s investment of $1.3 million to construct the flood protection levee.
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A council spokesman said “$550,000 was paid in full in early 2014”. .... CLICK HERE TO READ THIS EXAMINER STORY ONLINE
It is obvious that this is part of the done deal and LCC has no intention of denying any part of moving uni to Inveresk. Just how it will all happen will remain a deep mystery to the residents of Launceston who will have to have deep pockets.
ReplyDeleteThere was a question asked a while back in a council meeting about all the pieces of land that have been handed over to Utas for nothing. The Done & Dirty Deal, the Dumb Deal is a dreadful waste of money to dumb down Launceston's university campus. Meanwhile, the two main instigators have got their promotions and vanished last year, leaving their minions to carry on as best they can. Like you say, how it will happen will remain a deep mystery to the residents of Launceston who will be paying for it in one way or another for decades to come. Better get the canoes and paddles out. LJ.
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