The independent Tasmanian Planning Commission is due to report to the government on the proposed changes next week after hearings throughout the state earlier in the year.

Director of E3 Planning Evan Boardman told The Examiner that he was concerned about the impact of the laws across the state.

“The drive from the government is one of uniformity, so exactly the same planning scheme will apply regardless of what location in which you live,” Mr Boardman said.

He said the range of different planning laws across Tasmania had allowed the evolution of each town’s individual character.

Mr Boardman said the 8.5m high building envelope standardised in the draft planning laws risked privacy and reduced the ability of local councils to reject development applications.

“Anywhere that’s zoned low density residential, you could have an 8.5m high building built right up against the boundary … and council and the neighbours wouldn’t be able to object or refuse the proposal,” Mr Boardman said.

“In my view it’s really dumbing down planning, it’s not going to provide a smarter, better, fairer, faster outcome of which the government talks of – it’ll deliver bland homogeneity across the state.”

Mr Boardman will join Freycinet Action Network’s Sophie Underwood and North East Bioregional’s Todd Dudley at a public information meeting to be held in Launceston on Tuesday, at the Pilgrim Uniting Church from 7pm.

“People need to know that the changes to planning rules are the most profound in decades and apply to every title of land in Tasmania,” Ms Underwood said.

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

“Under Labor and the Greens there were 29 different planning schemes and the system was a complete mess,” Mr Gutwein said.

“We took our policy for a single, statewide planning scheme to the election, it was endorsed by the people of Tasmania and we will deliver what we promised.

“There will be further opportunity for consultation when councils decide how to apply the new planning scheme to their municipalities.”