No compulsory voting: councils

A similar motion was presented to the Local Government Association of Tasmania's last annual meeting and was only narrowly defeated by two votes.

But association chief executive Allan Garcia said that the motion, put by the West Tamar Council to the annual meeting yesterday, was soundly defeated with 18 councils voting against compulsory voting.

Twenty-seven of the state's 29 councils were represented at the annual meeting held in conjunction with the association's 100th anniversary annual conference in Hobart yesterday.

Mr Garcia said that there were motions related to water and sewerage.

Most of them were passed including one that called for the three regional water and sewerage corporations to be maintained.

The association will write to both state and federal governments giving its support for the Tasmanian forest industry and highlighting the economic benefits it brings to the state.

The local government body will also call on the state government to pass legislation amendments to give councils clear and appropriate powers to force works to clean up dilapidated buildings.

"The inability of councils to deal with derelict, dilapidated or unsightly buildings has been of concern for many years and raised with state government on a number of occasions," Mr Garcia said.

The 100th anniversary conference will continue at Hobart's Wrest Point today with guest speakers due to address the gathering before council awards are announced.