The event, organised by 20 environment and community groups, heard that traditional Tasmanian landscape and suburban amenity values were at risk of being sacrificed to developers.

RMIT University planning expert, Professor Michael Buxton, said Tasmania was one of the last states to adopt a statewide planning scheme following “a 15-year sustained attack on resident rights through land use and planning changes”.

He said similar planning changes on the mainland were market-driven and involved increased discretionary controls to advantage developers.

“We’re told that the reasons to reduce red-tape are to help mums and dads,” Professor Michael Buxton said.

“They’re not about that; they’re about helping developers.” 

Opposition planning spokeswoman Madeline Ogilvie said that the government’s new planning scheme was incomprehensible to the average person while Greens planning spokeswoman Rosalie Woodruff said that politics needed to be taken out of planning in the state.

Ms Woodruff said the new proposed scheme would bring on mass landclearing, impact biodiversity connectivity, and affect endangered species.

Planning Minister Peter Gutwein said that the government made no apologies for wanting to make the planning system faster, fairer, simpler and cheaper.

“The single statewide planning system has been developed in consultation with the Local Government Association, the Master Builders’ Association, the TFGA, the TCCI, and the HIA as well as 145 stakeholders across the broader community and other experts in the field,” he said.

Property Council of Australia state executive director Brian Wightman said planning reform gave Tasmanians more opportunities to enter the housing market.