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
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.
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