The University of Tasmania has paused the controversial redevelopment of its Sandy Bay campus, instead announcing plans for a "next phase" in public consultation.
Last year, UTAS revealed a master plan to turn its campus into a "sustainable micro-suburb," with 2,700 homes, a hotel, and retail and community facilities, while it moved its campus into Hobart's CBD.
But after backlash from students, staff and members of the community over the proposed changes, UTAS has temporarily put the Sandy Bay plans on hold.
The university's CBD move is not in question, UTAS vice-chancellor Rufus Black says, but a new 80-member consultation panel will be formed as part of the "next phase of engagement" on the future of the current Sandy Bay campus.
The consultation will run this year in the lead-up to UTAS seeking approval from council for a planning scheme amendment in order to proceed with the Sandy Bay redevelopment.
The university needs the campus to be rezoned from "educational" to "mixed" use.
Professor Black said the consultation panel would "start by identifying the things that they collectively think matter" and then "work collectively through those in a series of engagements".
"We've got to remember this is a university for the whole of Tasmania, and very much for the whole of the south, and ensuring that we are having the full set of voices in the room is really important," he told ABC Radio Hobart's Mornings program.
In a letter to staff, Professor Black said members of the panel would be picked through two methods — an expression-of-interest process, which will start on July 25, and "independent active recruitment".
"The community panel session will be independently facilitated and publicly reported with additional information, updates and engagement opportunities for the broader community throughout this period," he wrote to staff.
The consultation panel's meetings are scheduled to run until the end of the year.
"I'm also very keen that we make sure this really good consultation process has a real integrity to it and the community feel that they can work through that, because that'll be very public, very transparent, what's occurring there," Professor Black told ABC Radio Hobart.
Council meeting hears complaints over move
The announcement comes after a public meeting held by the Hobart City Council in May, where members of the community expressed outrage over UTAS's move into the city.
The council was required to hold the meeting after it received a petition of more than 1,000 signatures from advocacy group Save UTAS Campus.
One of the key issues raised was a lack of consultation before the plans were revealed.
Several speakers urged UTAS to put their development plans for the Sandy Bay campus on hold until community consultation could take place.
