© Urbis Pty Ltd - The Break O'Day area · 4 STRENGTHS URBIS ST HELENS AND SURROUNDS SWOT ANALYSIS...

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URBIS STAFF RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS REPORT WERE:

Director Sarah Emons

Senior Consultant Sarah Ancell

Job Code MA7939

Report Number St Helens and Surrounds SWOT Analysis – FINAL xdisclai mer x

TABLE OF CONTENTS

URBIS ST HELENS AND SURROUNDS SWOT ANALYSIS - FINAL

1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 2

1.1 Project aims ............................................................................................................................. 2

1.2 Project process ........................................................................................................................ 2

1.3 Preparation of the SWOT Report ............................................................................................ 3

2 Strengths ........................................................................................................................................... 4

3 Weaknesses ...................................................................................................................................... 7

4 Opportunities .................................................................................................................................. 10

5 Threats ............................................................................................................................................. 12

FIGURES:

Figure 1 – Structure plan process ...................................................................................................................... 3

2 INTRODUCTION URBIS

ST HELENS AND SURROUNDS SWOT ANALYSIS - FINAL

1 Introduction

St Helens is the largest urban area in the Break O’Day municipality. It is the main regional centre on the north east coast of Tasmania, and provides a key service and employment role for the wider region. Combined with the nearby residential settlements of Binalong Bay, Stieglitz, Akaroa and The Gardens, these settlements provide popular living environments and tourist destinations. The coastal setting, which includes the world-renowned Bay of Fires, provides opportunities to further enhance the resident and visitor experiences.

In order to ensure that the town’s future is planned and managed in a co-ordinated manner, the Break O’Day Council and the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and the Arts have engaged Urbis to prepare a Structure Plan for St Helens and its surrounds which consists of four documents:

1) Background Report 2) Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Report 3) Community Views Report 4) Structure Plan Report

This SWOT Report should be read in conjunction with the Background Report that presents the results of our data investigations. These documents form the basis of the Structure Plan.

1.1 PROJECT AIMS

The Structure Plan will provide a vision for future land use and development within St Helens over the next 20 years. It will also provide a basis for the provisions relating to the settlement in the revised Planning Scheme that Council is currently preparing to replace the Break O’ Day Planning Scheme 1996, and the Interim Planning Scheme 2011.

The aims of the structure plan are to:

Further the goals of the existing strategic planning documents such as the Regional Land Use Strategy of Northern Tasmania and Vision East 2030.

Consider how the settlements will look in 20 years.

Consider what size population should be planned for.

Identify and investigate the residential, commercial, and industrial land supply.

Consider the management of natural hazards and climate change.

Identify and investigate locations for tourism and economic drivers.

Consider the layout of the St Helens town centre.

Consider the role and function of the settlements in relation to each other.

Provide recommendations that can be translated into the new planning scheme.

1.2 PROJECT PROCESS

The process involved in the preparation of the Structure Plan is outlined on Figure 1 on the following page.

URBIS ST HELENS AND SURROUNDS SWOT ANALYSIS - FINAL INTRODUCTION 3

FIGURE 1 – STRUCTURE PLAN PROCESS

1.3 PREPARATION OF THE SWOT REPORT

The opportunities and challenges have been identified as follows:

Review of the background data and reports by Urbis.

Site visits by Urbis and the Working Group.

Workshops held by Urbis in August 2012 with the following key stakeholder groups:

State government departments

Council officers

Councillors

Community interests

Business interests

This opportunities and challenges report includes the land use planning matters discussed in these workshops and mentioned in the background documents.

4 STRENGTHS URBIS


2 Strengths

State

An internationally recognised natural environment known for its beauty and pristine state.

A well-performing tourism industry.

Affordable housing options compared to many parts of Australia.

Good internal transport networks.

Internationally recognised historic and cultural heritage features.

A reputation for excellent food and wine outputs.

Regional

Northern Tasmania is recognised as having high environmental values and low levels of pollution.

The region has a range of resources including education, transport, energy, agricultural land and natural beauty.

The region has a pleasant climate with dependable water, which may become sought out in the future by individuals and businesses seeking these attributes.

The region has many ‘quality of life’ advantages.

The region has a skilled and stable workforce.

Natural features and natural hazards

The scenic values of the environmental and coastal setting including the Bay of Fires.

Close proximity to national parks and reserves.

An environment that is perceived as pristine and unpolluted in many locations.

A mild and temperate climate with distinct seasons.

There are areas of high ecological value that include a range of native flora and fauna.

The community

There is a strong community spirit.

The area is popular as a retirement location. The aged population spends money locally, and supports the employment base of the area.

The quiet nature of the settlements promotes a relaxed lifestyle for residents.

Community facilities

There is a range of existing recreation facilities.

There is a high school and a recently opened Polytech centre in St Helens.

Movement network

Excellent road access via the Tasman Highway.

URBIS ST HELENS AND SURROUNDS SWOT ANALYSIS - FINAL STRENGTHS 5

In St Helens, there are wide footpaths that are accessible to a range of users, including those with wheelchairs and ‘gophers’.

There is community bus service and also a long-distance bus service.

Infrastructure

St Helens, Stieglitz and Akaroa have a good water and sewerage supply with capacity that is able to accommodate the summer tourism population.

National Broadband Network cabling is currently being installed to serve some properties in the study area.

Heritage

The study area contains six buildings that are listed on the Tasmanian Heritage Register (see Background Report for details of these).

The study area contains numerous aboriginal cultural heritage sites.

The town centre

St Helens has a clearly defined and relatively compact town centre.

There are some areas where town beautification works have been undertaken.

There is generally sufficient parking in winter.

The waterfront

St Helens has good port facilities that accommodate fishing and tourism boats.

Georges Bay includes a number of aquaculture facilities with landside facilities located directly adjacent to the oyster beds.

Residential land uses

Housing prices are at a level that is affordable to many people.

Traditional Tasmanian-style ‘shacks’ contribute to the character of the settlements.

Tourism land uses

The Bay of Fires has achieved international recognition through awards such as being named the world's 'hottest' travel destination for 2009 by international guide book Lonely Planet.

Excellent game fishing.

Wildlife watching activities (for example, there are boat cruise companies that advertise dolphin watching).

Food tourism activities, for example the ability to purchase Lease 65 Oysters directly from the factory door.

There are bed and breakfast facilities located throughout the study area as the Council has a facilitative approach to establishment of these facilities.

Industrial land uses

The industrial land is consolidated into one location which provides efficiencies and limits its impact on sensitive land uses.

6 STRENGTHS URBIS


The industrial area has good highway access.

Rural and rural lifestyle land uses

Rural residential living (on land zoned Rural Living and Environmental Living in the Draft Interim Planning Scheme) is a popular lifestyle choice in the study area and a range of bushclad and more open paddock-style property options are available for those who choose this style of living.

The vegetated rural land and the open paddocks interspersed with vegetation contribute to the scenic values of the area.

URBIS ST HELENS AND SURROUNDS SWOT ANALYSIS - FINAL WEAKNESSES 7

3 Weaknesses

State

Lower income and employment levels compared to national averages.

Low population growth, which can impact on the viability and vitality of services and businesses.

Lower proportions of younger people.

Regional

Similar to the rest of Australia the population and workforce of Northern Tasmania will age and the proportion of employed persons will decrease, resulting in competition for skilled workers.


In some areas native flora and fauna have been adversely impacted by inappropriately located development.

The clearance of vegetation around buildings to prevent bushfire risks, whilst being an appropriate hazard reduction measure, has resulted in visual impacts in some locations.

The community

The lack of diverse employment opportunities and access to higher education in the area has resulted in many younger people and young families leaving the area.

Significant fluctuations in the summer and winter populations, which impacts on the viability of local businesses. The summer population increases bring economic benefits to the town but also have service and infrastructure implications.


The provision of health services does not meet all areas of community need, and many people need to travel to Launceston to access specialist services.

Some subdivisions have provided public open space in inappropriate locations that are not ‘fit for purpose’.

The Gardens, Binalong Bay, Akaora and the northern parts of Stieglitz are isolated from most community facilities.

Movement network

Footpaths are narrow or non-existent in some places.

Access facilities for people with disabilities are limited at some tourist destinations.

There is community bus service and also a long-distance bus service, but there is a lack of locals’ and tourists’ knowledge of these services.

Infrastructure

There are no reticulated water or sewerage services in Binalong Bay or The Gardens. Whilst the St Helens systems have the capacity to service these areas, this would result in expensive extensions and could result in development pressures in these communities.

Some of the on-site sewerage systems are failing, resulting in leakages.

8 WEAKNESSES URBIS


There are some sewerage pump stations that have low levels of capacity.

Infiltration of the sewerage systems can occur during flood events.

There are incidences of water tanks overflowing where holiday houses are vacant for stretches of time.

In order to provide appropriate service levels of water pressure, there is a limitation to the height where development can be located.

Inappropriately designed subdivisions and infrastructure works have resulted in dwellings and properties being adversely impacted by stormwater flows. For example, there are dwellings located in stormwater flow paths through houses, and there are places where roads are higher than the surrounding properties, resulting in stormwater draining off the road to the properties.

The National Broadband Network cabling that is currently being installed this will not extend to all properties in the study area.

Heritage

Compared to other Tasmanian settlements, St Helens does not have a strong heritage building theme to draw from in relation to its character.

The town centre

The town centre lacks a clearly defined ‘heart’ that the community can use as a meeting place.

The town centre is disconnected from the waterfront.

There is poor amenity and a lack of cohesive design in some parts of the town centre, including shop frontages and the streetscapes.

The location of the Tasman Highway through the middle of the town centre creates conflict between through traffic, local traffic, parking, pedestrians in the shopping area and pedestrians accessing the foreshore, particularly during peak holiday periods.

The summer population increases create pressure on parking areas.

It is not always possible or desirable to provide on-site parking on commercial properties due to the small size of some allotments and a preference to avoid locating buildings behind a large expanse of parking.

There is a limited supply of disabled parking spaces.

The waterfront

The waterfront is disconnected from the town centre.


The study area includes long expanses of linear residential development along the coast, which can be expensive to service, and which can promote car-dependency.

The supply of housing to meet the needs of aged residents may not match demand.

The urban areas are surrounded by physical barriers to residential growth in many directions, such as floodprone areas, native vegetation, and habitat areas (such as the sea eagle nest in Binalong Bay).

In order to provide appropriate service levels of water pressure, there is a limitation to the height where residential development can be located.

URBIS ST HELENS AND SURROUNDS SWOT ANALYSIS - FINAL WEAKNESSES 9

Tourism land uses

It is not always clear to visitors what the ‘Bay of Fires experience’ entails. This is partly due to a lack of wayfinding and interpretation information.

The seasonality of visitor numbers can create difficulties for the viability of tourism businesses.

There is a need for more tourism accommodation of all types.

There is a lack of clear criteria as to what tourism developments are considered to be acceptable in the area.

Restaurants find it difficult to attract skilled chefs.


There is limited scope to extend the industrial area in the future due to the presence of nearby residential properties.


The need to clear vegetation around dwellings to lower bushfire risk can result in visual impacts.

10 OPPORTUNITIES URBIS


4 Opportunities

State

State-wide improvements to the planning system are currently underway.

National Broadband Network cabling is being installed in several Tasmanian locations.

There are opportunities to expand tourism activities into a wider range of areas.

Regional

The region’s natural assets provide opportunities for many specialised food industries and the tourism industry.

The potential for increasing productivity through innovation is a significant focus for government and private sector activities.

Sustained regional population growth including net growth from interstate migration.

A range of renewable energy options.


An environment that is perceived as pristine and unpolluted in many locations.


Recreation facilities could be further enhanced, such as by building a larger swimming pool.

There is a community desire for additional tertiary training opportunities to be provided.

Movement network

Opportunities exist to expand the services provided at the airport. It is noted that there is currently no protective buffer identified around the airport.

Cycling is a popular activity, both on local tracks and as part of wider Tasmanian cycle touring routes.

There are mountain biking tracks in the Humbug Point reserve, and opportunities may exist to create new tracks in the study area.

Infrastructure

There are some sewerage pump stations that have capacity to accommodate additional connections.

National Broadband Network cabling is currently being installed.

The town centre

There are vacant properties in the town centre which could be key development sites.

The waterfront

The foreshore areas such as Percy Steel reserve contain a number of facilities such as playground equipment, a skate park, and car parking facilities, but could benefit from further enhancement to improve their value to the community.

The removal of shacks on Crown Land at Binalong Bay will provide opportunities to enhance this area.

URBIS ST HELENS AND SURROUNDS SWOT ANALYSIS - FINAL OPPORTUNITIES 11


There is vacant land within the settlements that can be used to accommodate housing growth.

There are opportunities to undertake infill development and to diversify the housing products available.

Installation of the NBN network may increase opportunities for residents to run businesses from their homes.


There are vacant sites and vacant buildings available in the industrial area, which provides opportunities for future expansion.


Rural lifestyle properties are a popular choice in the study area and a range of bushclad and more open paddock-style property options are available for those who choose this style of living.

The rural land within the study area provides local employment opportunities and the open paddocks interspersed with vegetation contribute to the scenic values of the area.

12 THREATS URBIS


5 Threats

State

Climate change impacts including sea level rise.

Perception of isolation from other parts of Australia.

Regional

Climate change impacts including sea level rise.

Job losses from restructuring to industries such as forestry.


In some areas native flora and fauna have been adversely impacted by inappropriately located development.

There is the potential for bushfire risks throughout the study area. However, there is also active management being undertaken to reduce these risks, including fuel reduction burns and the identification of strategic firebreaks.

There are areas prone to flooding from river and coastal sources, including roads and the St Helens Hospital.

Sea level rise.

There are areas prone to landslips, in particular in Stieglitz.

Acid sulphate soils are thought to be present in some areas; as per the Background Report, whilst there is data available on TheLIST on the locations of these, the data is not completely accurate. When acid sulphate soils are disturbed, this can result in erosion and impacts on water quality.

Fluctuating water salinity levels from impacts such as the disturbance of acid sulphate soils can impact the oyster industry.

Four wheel driving activities in inappropriate locations that damage vegetation and soils, and transfer pathogens.

Whilst not a widespread problem, there are incidents of people cutting down native vegetation to use as firewood.

The community

Job losses from the forestry industry have impacted the local employment market.

Movement network

Road access can be blocked by landslips.

The road network is impacted by flooding including Binalong Bay Road and the Reids Road bridge.

Heritage

Damage has occurred to aboriginal heritage sites from development activities.

URBIS ST HELENS AND SURROUNDS SWOT ANALYSIS - FINAL THREATS 13

The waterfront

An ongoing build-up of sand at the channel entrance causes difficulties for access into and out of Georges Bay.


The creation of smaller residential allotments in Binalong Bay is changing the character of the settlement. Traditionally, the development has consisted of small houses located on large properties with many trees. More recent development has seen the development of much larger houses on smaller allotments with less trees.

Some residential properties now contain large boat sheds which whilst needed to protect the boats, but if inappropriately located can cause amenity issues and can impact on the character of the settlements.

Tourism land uses

Whilst the popularity of the Bay of Fires helps to attract visitors to the area, ensuring that the extent of development and visitor numbers is managed to provide ongoing protection for the natural assets and values of the area is a key challenge.


There are residential uses in close proximity to the industrial area, and there can be conflicts between these uses.

The study area might lose employment opportunities if the industrial land supply does not match any future rise in demand.

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