Thread by @BenGlenHuon

The purchase of the former Forestry Tasmania building is not the only real estate deal that's seen UTAS take a financial bath, at taxpayer's expense. Thread.
#politas #lgtas #Hobart

The former Forestry Tasmania building was previously owned by Calbourne Nominees, a company associated with the Rockefellers. According to the ABC, the property was valued at $5.7 million and UTAS paid $15 million

Calbourne Nominees were also the company that applied to the @cityofhobarttas to demolish the forestry dome last year themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/…

In 2006 UTAS purchased 9-11 and 13 Liverpool St from a company named RockWest Investments, which I suspect is also associated with the Rockefeller family. UTAS paid $2.42 million, the properties were valued at $1.31 million

In 2006 Margaretta Pos reported on TasmanianTimes that UTAS had ..."sold 42 houses in the upmarket suburbs of Sandy Bay, Battery Point, Dynnyrne and South Hobart to [the Rockefellers] for a bargain basement price of $13.5 million." tasmaniantimes.com/2006/12/rockef…

In 2009 UTAS purchased 12-16 Bathurst St from Market Place Car Park Pty Ltd for $3.5 million. The property was valued at $490,000. This property was purchased several years earlier by MPCP Pty Ltd, from the Federal Government, for $410,000.

In 2015 UTAS purchased 62-66 and 70-82 Argyle St for a total of $9.8 million, from Calbourne Nominees. The combined value of the properties was $4.55 million.

In 2016, and 2017, UTAS purchased 44 and 40-42 Melville St for $8.79 million, from a DH McLoughlin ($790,000) and *not known* ($8 million). The properties were valued at $4.315 million. The *not known* is a bit strange.

In 2017 UTAS purchased 27-29 Melville St for $8 million, from Red Cross. The property was valued at $4.1 million.

UTAS has also sold the former unitas building, which occupied a prime site on the Sandy Bay campus - the roundabout on the corner of Churchill Ave & TT Flynn St. It's apparently been purchased by Hill Street Grocer for an unknown price. The Rockefeller family is involved with HSG

And yes, all academic buildings owned by UTAS are exempt from rates. These excerpts are from a letter sent by Lord Mayor @AnnaReyno to a third party, earlier this year.

Uniprint building dammit, not unitas. Uni’s on the brain 🤯

CORRECTION: it’s the former Uniprint building and attached carpark, not Unitas. I underestimated the size of the footprint as well. Prime land

The University of Tasmania has splashed more than $60 million on property in the Hobart CBD in the last four years alone. All buildings intended for academic use will now be exempt from Hobart City Council rates
themercury.com.au/realestate/uta… #politas #lgtas #Hobart @emlybkr

This is 🐃💩 Why would @UTAS_ spend $100s of millions buying & constructing buildings in the CBD, if they hadn’t already made the decision to abandon all or part of Sandy Bay? The decision to move has clearly been made by whoever is buying all these buildings, not the Uni Council

Despite booming enrolments at UTAS, the Sandy Bay campus is currently massively under-utilised, with a number of buildings already abandoned or used sparingly. The Commerce & Economics building on French St, built in 1993, has been empty for three years #politas #lgtas #hobart

This building contained computer labs and wired teaching spaces. It was clearly not unfit for purpose, or past its useful life, claims made by UTAS to justify abandoning sections of the campus. But it was abandoned anyway, and is now called “the old Commerce building”.

Most, if not all, of the buildings purchased by UTAS in Hobart’s CBD are far older than the “old” Commerce Building. So why is UTAS claiming its Sandy Bay buildings are too old or cannot be refurbished, when it’s also buying run-down hotels and old retail buildings in Hobart?

The Sandy Bay campus was gifted to UTAS last century, seemingly in perpetuity. The Tasmanian University Act 1951 contained the following caveat: “...the said land or any part thereof shall not at any time be sold, mortgaged, or otherwise disposed of...” #politas #lgtas #hobart

But the University of Tasmania Act 1992 contains a clause (s.26) that rescinds the perpetuity of the earlier grant. The land now ”...remains vested in the University but free from any restrictions … to sell, mortgage, or otherwise dispose of…”

Selling off most of all of the Sandy Bay campus won’t breach the letter of the law, but it certainly breaches the intent of the original grant.

And this is what it’s all about. The university’s land. The markings are definitely wrong in places (and who knows what they’ve sold off already) but you get the gist. Yellow is above Churchill Ave, red is below. Residents of Dynnyrne & Mt Nelson have no idea what they’re in for

On the day Tasmania's bushfire crisis started ramping up, @UTAS_ finally announced the obvious: it’s considering abandoning the Sandy Bay campus. The decision was made at a Uni Council meeting the week before, but wasn’t revealed until the fires really got going #politas #hobart

The uni has been slyly vacating the Sandy Bay campus for years, but this was the first public admission that it may abandon the lot. Just as multiple fires were starting to cause serious concern. I’m still wondering whether @_RufusBlack approved of or even knew about the timing

For some reason UTAS is now back to running dead on the future of the campus. I can’t find anything on its website, no media releases, no News, nothing on Twitter, Facebook, or the VC’s Twitter. It’s almost as if UTAS doesn’t want the news on its own public(ly accessible) record

IMO the uni is running dead to avoid discussing the elephant in the room - the obvious deceptions used to justify relocation, especially the idiotic claim about geriatric buildings. It’s clearly bunkum, but they just keep saying it... #politas #hobart

Lots of the CBD properties bought by UTAS are older than buildings at Sandy Bay. How & why are old buildings in the CBD okay, while newer buildings at Sandy Bay aren’t? The Commerce & Economics building was built in 1993, but has been abandoned for three years. It makes no sense

If some of the buildings at Sandy Bay are in a rundown “state”, who let that happen, and why? In 2016, UTAS cited a $70M maintenance backlog at Newnham (which included flood damage) as part of its case to abandon that campus. Sound familiar? #politas
P16: utas.edu.au/__data/assets/…

Why has UTAS been unable to look after, maintain, and update its existing campuses? And where is the proof that buildings at Sandy Bay have some sort of use-by date, or the even more laughable claim that it’s cheaper to construct new buildings than to renovate existing buildings?

Why does UTAS think it’s okay to give spurious reasons for abandoning entire campuses, while seeking $400M in public funding to walk away from some or all of Sandy Bay, on top of the $300M it took for the northern relocations. This is our premier education provider, not Gunns

So @UTAS_ finally admits it may sell *all* its academic buildings at Sandy Bay, then says:
1) “there is no scenario in which we would abandon our home in ... Sandy Bay ...”
2) A city-centric campus would retain “some accommodation & recreational facilities at Sandy Bay” #politas

Article is from Friday’s Mercury (22 Feb 2019, p3): themercury.com.au/realestate/uni…

The article also says UTAS claims it will consult “with the community” about the move, & reveals UTAS has been trying to rezone academic buildings at Sandy Bay since last year, incl the Commerce building, & Hytten Hall. When did the move start? And when will “consultation” start?

The Sandy Bay campus is the jewel in the University’s marketing crown, & they know it too [pic taken this week]. The campus was given in perpetuity, it’s within minutes of bush & beaches, & it sits between arterial roads. Selling it off is vandalism #politas

Cambridge, Oxford, Yale, & Harvard, have all maintained and upgraded their buildings (some of which are 600+ years old). Meanwhile, @UTAS_ has deliberately rundown its campuses, because its focus is on real estate deals & taxpayer handouts, not students #politas #weareutas

How many Tasmanian (statewide) businesses or high schools or colleges have buildings that are all less than 10 years old? What a ridiculous metric.

The Tasmanian Planning Commission also has issues with UTAS trying (or preparing) to sell-off buildings at Sandy Bay, as it breaches the special university planning zone, which specifically prevents the campus from being used for anything but tertiary education #politas

The special purpose planning zone was deliberately put in place during a previous administration, to protect the campus. If it cannot be overturned, UTAS will likely attempt to merge with (takeover) TAFE, just so it has something to put on the abandoned campus. Yes, seriously 😐

A few questions I had for @_RufusBlack prior to his interview on @abchobart with @LeonCompton this week (6/3/19). Not really answered, unfortunately

Consultation. What even is it? @_RufusBlack implies that the people of Hobart will be consulted about this “once in a generation” decision to abandon the Sandy Bay campus. Later that day, the head of Corp Affairs at @UTAS_ wants to talk about something else...
#politas #lgtas

.@_RufusBlack acknowledging @UTAS_ staff & stakeholders who think the evidence provided in the consultation is not balanced. They’re not happy; “robust discussions, frank feedback & acute questions”. Sent yesterday (7/3/19)
#politas #lgtas #weareutas

Interview is here: abc.net.au/radio/hobart/p…

Hey @AnnaReyno & @HelenBurnet1 - was @_RufusBlack ‘consulting’ with you the other day, or did he just take you thru the material that staff believe is unbalanced? #politas #lgtas

Where are we on the non-engagement spectrum?
#politas #lgtas #weareutas

Two weeks ago, @_RufusBlack said there would be “consultation with the community” about the future of the Sandy Bay campus. This week @UTAS_ appeared to be backing away from public consultation. Which is it?
Article link: themercury.com.au/realestate/uni…
#politas #lgtas #weareutas

Consultation. What even is it, part II. @UTAS_ is now inviting alumni to attend “a presentation ... held in an immersive space, which will outline options for our Southern campus”. But I’m a former student, living in Hobart, & I’m not invited. How about you?
#politas #weareutas

Consultation. What even is it. Part III. The @cityofhobarttas has encouraged @UTAS_ to conduct a proper consultation about the decision to abandon the Sandy Bay campus, but UTAS seems to have its fingers stuck in its (tin) ears #politas #weareutas #lgtas

The @cityofhobarttas confirms that it advised @UTAS_ to consult with the community “at a number of meetings with the current and previous Vice Chancellor”. UTAS has clearly ignored this advice, and then lied to the people of #Hobart
#politas #lgtas #weareutas