Council Defies Own Advice to Approve Hobart Apartments

After years of stalled proposals and heritage disputes, the former site of Hobart’s Conservatorium of Music site will finally be redeveloped.

Fragrance Group, which acquired 5-7 Sandy Bay Road from the University of Tasmania in 2017, had lodged multiple development applications before winning unanimous council approval for a new plan comprising 75 serviced apartments, 12 townhouses and a cafe.

A mid-century mosaic by artist George Davis will be preserved and integrated into the design (pictured in top image).

Originally Tasmania’s first ABC radio and television studio, the Sandy Bay Road property has been vacant for several years.

Fragrance Group, a Singapore-based property developer, received approval for the project through Hobart City Council’s Planning Authority Committee.

The project has been designed by Hobart-based firm Scanlan Architects.

Councillors rejected council officers’ advice to refuse the application.

Officers had recommended that rejection due to the proposed demolition of a 1950s brick cottage at 8A Heathfield Avenue, a property forming part of the broader development site.

▲ Scanlan Architects rendering of the approved project for 5-7 Sandy Bay Road.

Although not individually heritage listed, the cottage was considered to contribute to the character of the nearby Hampden Road Heritage Precinct.

The approved redevelopment will demolish the cottage, parts of the former conservatorium building and a brick warehouse at Wilmot Street. 

The 19m George Davis mural, facing Sandy Bay Road, will be preserved and incorporated into the new development. The building’s facade design will reference the mural’s original colour palette.

George Davis, who created the mural in 1960 from more than 150,000 Italian glass tiles, said before his death in 2021 he was “very pleased it would outlast” him.

The project will deliver a six-storey building comprising 75 serviced apartments, a ground-floor cafe and 23 car spaces, and a second block of 12 townhouses and 25 basement parks.

▲ A rendering of the townhouses from Wilmot Street.

Councillor Bill Harvey said the proposal would “bring new life” to a site that had been vacant for years. 

Acting Lord Mayor Zelinda Sherlock said the project was “a thoughtful application” balancing redevelopment and heritage outcomes.

The approval adds to a series of recent infill developments across Hobart, including Grace Residences, a 10-apartment project approved in late 2024 at 47 Maning Avenue, Sandy Bay.

City of Hobart’s Planning Strategy 2019-2045 identifies urban infill as a key priority to accommodate projected population growth during the next two decades.