A world of opportunity in 10 hectares

Thanks to a remarkable location, incredible lifestyle and wonderful community, it’s already smooth sailing for this city. By bringing a key community asset, Devonport Showground, back to life in consultation and collaboration with you, there has never been a time of greater opportunity.

 
 
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As an historic sailing port, Devonport has a unique relationship with the word opportunity. These days “opportunity" means a set of circumstances that make it possible to achieve a goal or attain success. But for centuries, sailors used the word “opportunity” as the basis for the phrase Ob portum veniens, meaning that the wind had changed direction and conditions were favourable to steer into port. This required both good planning and all hands on deck, the crew pulling together to seize the moment and make land. It’s the perfect way to describe where Devonport finds itself now.

Have your say on how we build a $75 million investment in homes, jobs, and opportunity for Devonport


A masterplan of op-port-unity for the people of Devonport

Devonport is a place where the sea meets the shore and ships dock, with opportunity written into its name. Read on to learn about the most exciting opportunities arising from this development. Read more about our masterplan to build a $75 million investment in homes, jobs and opportunity for Devonport here.

Homes

As part of extensive consultation, we’ve heard your requests for more homes that are attainable, high quality and adaptable over the course of a lifetime. Homes that cater to all ages and stages, situated within a supportive and accessible community.
Over 200 such homes will enter the Devonport market to rent, buy or be used for specialist care, tackling the state-wide housing crisis head on and giving more people the opportunity to live with joy and dignity. Read more on how we’re building great homes for Devonport here.

Jobs

Of course, we’ll need people to help us build, furnish, maintain and take up support roles connected to these homes and the precinct, representing hundreds of new jobs for Devonport. Because everything in the masterplan directly answers Devonport’s wants and needs, these career opportunities are complementary to the city’s existing workforce, filling the gaps and strengthening the whole. Read more on how we’re building high value jobs for Devonport here.

Opportunity

Ensuring our new neighbourhood will contribute more to the lives of everyone in Devonport than houses and jobs is what sets this development apart. You can read more on how we’re building opportunity for Devonport below, and here.

Healthcare

Having direct access to health and community services is paramount, especially for those who can’t drive long distances or find traveling between appointments a logistical challenge.
A state-of-the-art allied health precinct will offer showground residents and the wider Devonport community the chance to stay local and receive all the care they need. This hub of GPs, physios, occupational therapists, speech therapists and more will sit neatly alongside what’s already available in Devonport, while bringing life changing services to the doorstep of our older community, young families and people with special needs.
On-site services such as in-home care and specialist support will profoundly increase feelings of safety, security and independence for resident elders, bringing the opportunity almost all of us desire: to age in place.

Community groups

Of the 22 community groups and enterprises who have called the showground home, many will have the chance to move into new, beautifully-designed and purpose-built facilities. From the Country Women’s Association and Rural Business Tasmania, to the Devonport Poultry Club and the dozens of groups surrounding the site, it’s our hope they’ll join us. The community center will be available for meetings, gatherings or permanent activities, with an adjoining cafe and shop to infuse this space with the pleasant hum of activity.

The arts

Art and culture are the herbs and spices of community. Life would be rather bland without them. We are so excited to welcome local creatives to the showground development, many of whom use the site today such as woodworkers, metalworkers and those holding art classes and exhibitions.
We’ve heard that these talented individuals and groups would benefit from a hub in which to live, work and play; to showcase their work and engage the community. Elsewhere, this kind of opportunity has seen creatives chart their own course and excel, and our dedicated arts space will offer the same creative potential.

Open spaces

Everyone in the city will gain parklands, walkways and bike paths, playgrounds, community gardens and dog-friendly zones that make up 15% of this site, providing even more opportunities to revel in Devonport’s natural beauty.
In fact, Devonport has been discussing new parklands for a long time in order to connect up the city. Our aspiration is that these open spaces become just as loved and treasured by the region as Bluff Park, Don Reserve, Victoria Parade and the Mercy River path.

Community events

The opportunity for regular events and gatherings will not be lost at the showground. Farmer’s markets, art spectaculars, and all kinds of interests and occasions will be held at the site, set amongst beautiful surrounds and evoking the joyful spirit for which Devonport Showground is famous.

Community services

When a new community precinct is developed, populated by locals and in the centre of an existing city, something extraordinary happens. Services and activities that might have been ‘missing’ from the region suddenly find the space to spring up, fed by local knowledge and watered by actual needs.
From childcare, learning, recreation and leisure classes, Devonport Showground will be home to a wide variety (and growing number) of services and activities. That means even more choices for Devonport, limited only by the imagination of the people who live here.

For the city of Devonport

The day the showground reopens will be a great day for Devonport. Instead of an unusable zone that disrupts the flow of the city, this development will create a flourishing thoroughfare.
You’ve told us that bike paths and walking trails are a priority, so we’ve championed them in the Masterplan[link]. They run like arteries through the showground’s open spaces, pumping life into the CBD and energy into neighbouring suburbs.
Incredible cohesiveness will come from connecting the 4-ways, Victoria Parade, the Bluff and the sporting fields together in a way that has been missing from Devonport. By replacing fences, locks and barbed wire with paths and open spaces, this area of the city will undergo a transformation that supports human health (more walking), the environment (less cars) and the bottom line of local businesses (increased foot traffic).

For Devonport Agricultural and Pastoral Society (DAPS)

Show societies, their committees and the shows they run are as Australian as Vegemite or Pavlova. For a community like Devonport and a region like the North-West, priding itself on world-class produce and productive resources, it’s vital to cheer on our farmers (and the societies who support them).
The sale of the showground represents an opportunity for DAPS to redefine who they are and what they do. Their decision to sell, while not an easy one, secures their future and the extremely significant contribution they make to rural, regional and creative communities.
DAPS and associated committees are excited to remain a part of the showground into the future. The Community and Creative Precinct will be their home for the next 100 years, freeing them up to do what they do best.

For the showground itself

Nobody likes to see a site gather dust and grow weeds. Right now, the showground is surrounded by fences and chains, locked away from those who have enjoyed it for generations. But even though the showground has seen better days, you’ve helped to ensure that there are plenty more ahead.
Thousands of years of history, stories and occasions form a foundation on which to design and plan for another century of memories and moments.
This 10 acre parcel of Devonport is one big opportunity, inspiring reflections on the past and conversations about the future. Giving the whole city an excuse to get together and talk about what’s best for Devonport; to nut out any problems and workshop solutions that everyone can be happy with. This collaborative process in itself builds relationships, understanding and a collective vision that can only strengthen this community.
And when the showground is complete and you bump into friends at the market, watch dawn break on your morning walk, or have the neighbours around for a spontaneous Sunday cook-up using produce from the community garden or the community shop, all the tiny-yet-mighty opportunities for meaning and connection that spring from a living, thriving, designed-by-you precinct make themselves known.
Would you like to share your thoughts on opportunity? Join our comprehensive consultation program that ensures you can have your say on how we build 200 homes, jobs and opportunity for Devonport. We invite you to register today.

Have your say on how we build a $75 million investment in homes, jobs, and opportunity for Devonport

 
 
OpportunityLisa White