The City of Hobart engaged ERA, with Campbell+Jones, SGS Economics and Paul Davies Architect and Heritage Consultants, to prepare a master plan for the Battery Point Slipyards site at Napoleon Street. The slipyards site is owned by the City of Hobart with several privately held leaseholds. The site has been occupied by the Muwinina people for many thousands of years and Aboriginal Tasmanians continue to have a connection to place in this area.

Over the years, the City of Hobart had received permit applications from a number of different lease holders for different proposals on the site, varying from minor maintenance works and signage, to more significant changes of use. This highlighted a need for strategic vision to guide the future use of the site to ensure it met with the expectations of the Council, community and lease holders.

The master plan provides direction for future land use and development on the site. It identifies values that are important to the community whilst recognising constraints on the site. These include the changing nature of the maritime and slipping industry, changing expectations of the community, and Council’s expectations as landlord.