Marine and Innovation Masterplan

At its 2021 October Meeting, Council endorsed the Prince of Wales Bay Marine and Innovation Masterplan.

The purpose of this project is to deliver a new masterplan for the Prince of Wales Bay Defence and Marine Precinct that will assist in building our place-based competitiveness, support investment attraction and grow productivity and value of the area.

This project is part of the Future Glenorchy program and the Economic Recovery Program which will see Glenorchy City Council strategically coordinate several projects aimed at growing Glenorchy and improving the liveability of the City.

The Masterplan vision:

“The Prince of Wales Bay Precinct is a collaborative and competitive hub of maritime industries in southern Tasmania which attracts diverse and complementary businesses. It functions as a one-stop destination for all maritime related activity.”

This vision seeks for the Prince of Wales Bay Precinct to:

• be the leading maritime industrial hub for Southern Tasmania

• attract and retain skilled employment

• improve internal connectivity and movement

• enhance public amenity for workers and visitors

• facilitate collaboration of businesses

• lead research and development and skills training

• support continued expansion of business

• mitigate gentrification through policy.

The masterplan includes six strategic directions:

1. Enhance business growth opportunities for the Precinct - to identify strategic upgrades with varying capital cost and high returns to support continued growth of the Precinct.

2. Support long-term growth and potential expansion opportunities - to support continued growth of the maritime sector by unlocking underutilised land.

3. Support development of a Maritime Cluster of Excellence - to support growth through strengthening branding, management, promotion and skills in the Precinct.

4. Manage parking and access - to manage existing access and parking arrangements to ensure long-term growth and efficiency around the Precinct.

5. Enhance public domain and amenity - to enhance the amenity of the public domain for workers, residents and visitors to the Precinct.

6. Support growth through a simplified planning framework - to ensure the regulatory framework supports the long-term economic growth for the Precinct.

From these strategic directions, actions have been identified which will require further investigation, community input, planning and financing. Each action will also require an implementation program which will be linked to the Council Plan, Annual Plans and budget process to ensure a whole of Council approach. Funding may come from a variety of sources including government grants and through partnerships with the community, businesses and property owners.

Outcomes from Engagement

Overall, the feedback from stakeholder and community engagement was positive and supportive of the masterplan. Some feedback was received regarding the expansion of the marina and conflicting uses around leisure craft and commercial marine vessels. Any plans to expand the marina will need to consider the impacts on adjoining businesses and the long-term accessibility of large marine craft to the bay.

The unique strategic commercial importance of the Prince of Wales Bay to the Tasmanian economy was made clear by all stakeholders who praised Council for taking this initiative. The community also praised the bay’s unique recreational facilities and share path links to adjoining suburbs and the exciting potential link to the intercity cycleway through the proposed ‘Zinc Link’.

With the implementation of this masterplan, Council will be ensuring the Prince of Wale Bay's commercial longevity, relevance and recreational assets into the future.