What do politics have to do with architecture? Well at this point in time, quite a bit. The Tasmanian construction industry has been going through hard times. The industry has been slow to recover and the past few years have tested many. There is the potential for action amidst the post-election confidence, but this now needs to come to fruition.

The cutting of red and green tape and the letting of Government tenders are two election items which have the potential to positively influence the construction industry in Tasmania, although, I personally don’t see our work situation increasing immediately.

The new Liberal Government’s ‘one stop shop’, including the Office of the Coordinator-General, aims to group together departments that deal with development. This provides the potential to streamline processes and create efficiencies, but the end result will depend on the calibre of the people involved. Hopefully what we will see, at least in the short-term, is someone who understands the difference between architecture and planning and who has the resources and support to ensure design quality becomes part of any assessment process. In the long term the Tasmanian Chapter will continue to lobby for a State Architect.

Andrew Williamson
Chapter President