IT IS URGENT: Make your submission soon and do not delay!

All this consulting and listening could turn out to be more and more of the same old, same old. That would be a tragedy! 

There are those who have deemed that their council is quite perfect and is "the best council in Tasmania" and that it "punches way above our weight"and so on! When one hears such nonsense you know at least two things for sure. 

Firstly, the people telling you are wedded to the status quo and have their fingers in the pie – well many/most of them – and they know 'a good thing' and a soft touch when they have one in their hand.

Secondly, after that is exposed, meaningful change is going to be quite difficult albeit that meaningful change is what is needed if approx. $2Billion is to be expended more effectively and indeed more equitably.

In recent years ratepayers across Tasmania have been dealt a cruel hand in Local Govt. This is especially so with two of the Act's most archaic provisions SECTIONS 62 & 65. Large councils with overblown 'executives' full of their self importance have exploited these provisions to the 'Nth degree'. Interestingly, while curiously compliant 'elected representatives' looked away – given emerging information, Launceston is seemingly still a victim. 

GRASSROOTS, and YES MINISTER. the TV shows, are salutary reminders of bureaucratic excess and they're worth a rewatch at times like we are in.

In Local Govt. in Tasmania, this has all happened despite protests out in the community, all of which went unnoticed by 'the government'. As bureaucracy tends to say, in the fullness of time, and in due course, and when the timing is ripe Tasmania is bound to have a ROYAL COMMISSION or JUDICIAL COMMISSION in this area. Then we are likely to see 'players' fleeing to wherever they can find a hiding-hole. Some have already scurried off and have made themselves scarce.

SO, if you have something to say, say it! 

But please do it out loud, in writing, and on the record, because as sure as GOD made little apples your contribution at an 'official' community symposium, information session, whatever will pass without notice or left to find its way into obscurity  – or even 'the bin'. 

Keep in mind the 'politician's mantra', "never go into a meeting unless you are sure of the outcome." This call to 'tell us what you think' exercise has all the bureaucrat–ic hallmarks of that sensibility. Also, remember there are 29 councils out there with good people and scoundrels around their decision making tables working extra hard to keep things just the same. 

YOU SEE, there's money in it and there are fingers in the pies, and peopled have skin in the game as they say - and goodness knows whats pies where.

EXAMINER JANUARY 15 2019 - 5:30PM 

https://www.examiner.com.au/story/5851751/public-called-to-have-their-say-on-future-of-local-government/

TASMANIANS CALLED TO ‘HAVE THEIR SAY’ ON FUTURE OF  LOCAL GOVERNMENT

THE GOVERNMENT WILL HOLD FOUR DROP-SESSIONS AS PART OF AN INITIAL PUBLIC CONSULTATION ROUND FOR ITS REVIEW OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT, ACTING LOCAL GOVERNMENT MINISTER ELISE ARCHER SAYS. TASMANIAN RESIDENTS WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO VOICE THEIR VISION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WITH DROP-IN PUBLIC CONSULTATION SESSIONS PLANNED ACROSS THE STATE DURING FEBRUARY.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: CULTURAL PLANNING IN A BIG YEAR

I’ve lost track of the number of occasions when the ratepayers of Launceston have been offered the promise of a ‘cultural/plan/strategy’ with all promises yet to be fulfilled. So, what has 2019 got to offer now that the years/decades leading up to now did not have?

All along what has been missing is the articulated ‘purposefulness’ of such a plan/strategy. If such a thing were to actually reveal itself in 2019 it will indeed be a very ‘Big Year for Council’.

If as GM Stretton implies, Council’s ‘purposefulness’ is to do with the Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery being, “the centre of the North’s creative culture and arts scene” that is far from being clear, evidence based, objective, unambiguous and most importantly, devoid of elasticity.

In any event, this would be an aspiration rather than a ‘purpose’ around which it might be possible to build some kind of concrete ‘key performance indicators’ upon and around.

The accountability that should flow from ‘purposefulness’ aught not be as discretionary nor as discriminatory as it mostly appears to be down at Launceston’s Town Hall. So, devising ‘a strategy’, a cultural strategy indeed, before there is ‘a purpose’ to be fulfilled seems as good a way as any to avoid accountability relative to performance.

In any event, the benefits flowing from having a truly purposeful ‘accountable leadership’ is that it would create effective structures where people would know what to expect, when and delivered by whom.

Creating a culture of integrity and accountability not only improves effectiveness, it also generates respectful, enjoyable and life-affirming settings within which people may live and work.

However, it does not look like the City of Launceston is looking to take any of this into account given that ‘purposefulness’, and the accountability that comes with it, seems to be as bureaucratically illusive a ‘strategy’ as ever it was going forward until now.

Ray Norman

Trevallyn

REFERENCES:

• FEASIBILITY STUDY http://file7250culture.blogspot.com/p/queen-victoria-museum-and-art-gallery.html
• MUSINGPLACE GOVERNANCE http://file7250culture.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_10.html
• A CULTURAL UNIT FOR LAUNCESTON https://tcf63.blogspot.com/2018/04/a-cultural-unit-for-launceston.html
• A COUNCIL’S FUNCTION/PURPOSE http://file7250culture.blogspot.com/p/function.html

_____________________________________ 

THE EXAMINER JANUARY 2 2019 - 5:06AM

City of Launceston council's year ahead for 2019

https://www.examiner.com.au/story/5831340/the-year-ahead-for-city-of-launceston-council-to-be-big/?cs=12

The Examiner takes a look at some of the things set to happen for the City of Launceston council in 2019. 

Cultural strategy 

One of the most exciting things the City of Launceston council plan to do this year is develop its cultural strategy. 

The council’s general manager Michael Stretton the strategy is one of the biggest and most influential things it is working on at the moment.

The strategy looks at the way the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Galley can evolve and how it could be the centre of the North’s creative culture and arts scene. 

“There is a real opportunity for us to grow arts and culture as an economic driver for the Northern region and that’s why we see the cultural strategy as being so important,” Mr Stretton said. 

Building heights 

After deferring its plan to pass building height limits late last year, the council will continue to work on that this year. 

The proposal to put maximum building heights of about 30 metres was taken off the table at one of the council’s October meetings because it was too close to an election, and because stakeholders wanted more consultation. 

“We want to explain the council’s position and work with stakeholders and then progress that through to the planning scheme. It will be a really big one for us in 2019,” Mr Stretton said. 

“We will open it up to stakeholders, but it wont be as full on engagement as we went through last time.”

Mr Stretton said there was no rush to get the regulations through the council. 

“The thing is,  with the two tall hotels that we’ve got coming to council at present, is that the building’s heights were never going to be able to be part of the planning scheme before the heights were determined. The two hotels will be developed under the current planning scheme,” he said.

Population growth

As part of the Northern Economic Development Plan, the council is developing a population growth strategy. 

“Population growth is central to prosperity for the northern region,” Mr Stretton said. 

“We need to work with the state government and all stakeholders to attract people to come and work and live in the North of the state.” 

Mr Stretton said ideally attracting working aged families would be targeted by the strategy. 

Invermay Traffic Management Plan

The council is continuing to work on the Invermay Traffic Management Plan. 

The council had a workshop with the Department of State Growth late last year to understand the big picture. 

“We certainly, and intend, that it will be delivered. There will be more with the community once the council determines it,” Mr Stretton said. 

“Largely what we want is something that looks at the overall picture for Launceston rather than breaking it all up.”

Tourism awards 

In March, the Cataract Gorge will host about 400 tourism professionals from across the nation as part of the Australian Tourism Awards. 

For the first time, the normally sell out event, will be broadcast live.  

“It’s just really significant. Launceston has an opportunity to showcase itself to the rest of Australia,” Mr Stretton said. 

“It’s only the second time outside of a major city. The only other time that has happened was at Uluru. So it’s pretty significant.”

City Heart Project 

St John Street will be redeveloped as part of the City Heart Project.

“We’re close to being able to come to the public and talk about the complex issues of the bus stops and that will be a conversation for early in the new year,” Mr Stretton said.