A representative community group will be a key element of the next stage of engagement the University of Tasmania will launch in coming weeks.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Rufus Black said the University was looking for new opportunities to engage with the people of Hobart about the transformation of the Sandy Bay campus and the move into the city.
“We want to improve the visibility of what the University is doing and why we’re doing it, so the community understands exactly what’s happening and when each step will take place,” Professor Black said.
“We also want to provide meaningful opportunities for community engagement to help shape what’s next for Sandy Bay as well as our new city campus.”
One way this will happen is through the establishment of a community group that will represent diverse voices and bring different perspectives to the table. The group will be formed through the combination of a public call for expressions of interest and direct invitation.
This group will provide insights to the University and be a sounding board to inform decisions in the city and at Sandy Bay across aspects of the projects the group will help identify.
The group will also provide a vital point of connection – both a reliable source of information for the community and a conduit for other voices to be heard by the University. The University is committed to working with this group and keeping it well informed so it, in turn, can help provide information to others.
The work of the group will be independently facilitated, and its reporting made publicly available.
As broad community engagement moves into this next phase, new mechanisms for internal engagement will also deepen consultation with students and staff.
“We are absolutely committed to ensuring that our consolidation in the city and the new future created for the Sandy Bay campus delivers for the long-term benefit of Hobart, Sandy Bay and its residents,” Professor Black said.
“We are also committed to maximising transparency and community input, which is why this new engagement will be delivered in addition to the significant consultation processes built into the statutory planning processes we are complying with.”
The University will release greater detail regarding the Sandy Bay masterplan in coming weeks to support that community engagement as the Planning Scheme Amendment process progresses.
For more information: Transforming our southern campus