A GROUP of residents unhappy with Launceston City Council processes are behind a public meeting opposing the land deal with the University of Tasmania for a new Inveresk campus.
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According to Mayor Albert van Zetten, the public meeting has been organised by a small group upset by the council’s unanimous decision in November to consolidate the future of the university’s Northern campus by transferring the old velodrome site and the Willis Street car park to the university for a $220 million development.
The meeting has been organised by the Launceston Concerned Citizens group for Tuesday night and all 12 council aldermen have been invited to attend the meeting, to be chaired by Launceston MLC Rosemary Armitage.
One of the meeting organisers, Ray Norman, who believes the land would be worth $5 million if put up for auction, described it as a ‘‘free gift’’ to the university and has repeatedly questioned the council’s process, claiming there had not been proper consultation.
Mr Norman said in light of the flooding in parts of Inveresk last week, if developers did not contribute to any infrastructure, such as drains, it would be a costly burden to ratepayers.
At the November council meeting, a resident asked what the impact would be on sewerage and stormwater infrastructure and who would pay.
They were told the responsibility fell on the university and these discussions were already under way between it and TasWater.
Alderman van Zetten said the organisers continued to make ‘‘bizarre and incorrect claims about the value of the land, the impact on rates and to proffer various outrageous conspiracy theories relating to the proposal’’.
‘‘We’re happy to engage on the facts — and there have been numerous opportunities for people interested in doing so — but it becomes very difficult when you have a handful of people who prefer to deal in conspiracy theories and deliberate misinformation,’’ he said.
‘‘We’re aware of their views; they’ve been put repeatedly and aldermen have listened to them and rejected numerous unsubstantiated claims.’’
* An earlier version of this story reported the meeting had been organised by the Tasmanian Ratepayers Association. The meeting has instead been organised by a network of Launceston residents known as the Launceston Concerned Citizens.
