The news at Josef Chromy Group will take their job-creating investment to the south, to Hobart, should be concerning news to Launceston's residents and the council.

Developers like Josef Chromy Group and Errol Stewart clearly have a grand vision for what they'd like to achieve, but they have the investment and capital to make it happen.

Councillors are often put between a rock and a hard place when voting on planning matters because the planning scheme appears rigid in its ability to approve projects.

Launceston has always been the home of small business and enterprise and we have in the past benefitted from the developments of the Josef Chromy Group, Errol Stewart and Ross Harrison.

However, in the past year, all of these developers, who had committed to projects in Launceston, have been knocked back by the planning scheme.

While the importance of a planning scheme should not be underestimated - assessments of things like heritage value, proximity to other buildings and the impact on neighbours are all things worthy of exploration - they definitely need to be considered.

But what it appears is the case, is the need for a statewide planning scheme, to encourage developers to not link around regional location lines and to give them the confidence they can work with local government officers to get their projects over the line in an appropriate way.

A statewide planning scheme has been in the works for several years, but it appears and action on it has stalled.

However, with the ascension of Launceston MP Peter Gutwein to the position of Premier, he himself a former Local Government Minister, it may be the right time to begin to see more action moving on this vital piece of legislation.

A statewide planning scheme would address regional issues and help to reduce the red-tape faced by frustrated developers.