George Town mayor Bridget Archer addressed Wednesday’s LGAT conference on the motion, saying it aligned with state legislation in place for smoking at schools, playgrounds and sporting arenas. 

She said extending the ban to school crossings could go some way in helping denormalise smoking behaviour and its influence on young people.

Councils once more passed a motion to lobby the state government to introduce container deposit legislation to Tasmania.

LGAT several years ago commissioned a report on the effectiveness of the scheme, finding it would save councils $1.3 million in kerbside collection costs each year.

The meeting heard that LGAT needed to lobby the state government to increase its per capita spending on public transport services across the state.

The motion, brought to the conference by Hobart City Council, stated that there was poor service coverage and frequency of services, and there was not the infrastructure to lift passenger numbers.

It suggested that improved public transport would improve access to services, education, and jobs.

LGAT will lobby state and federal governments to change disaster mitigation funding under the National Partnership Agreement to be split between all three levels of government. 

Kentish mayor Don Twaites said the current 50-50 split between governments and councils was too burdensome.

Devonport City Council succeeded in getting support for its motion to lobby the state government to investigate the co-ordination of school immunisation programs with the responsibility now resting with individual councils.

Burnie City Council failed to get support for its proposal to investigate the merits of a regulator that would oversee council rates, fees, and capital works budgets.

Break O’Day mayor Mick Tucker said he was opposed to another level of compliance for councils and more interference when councils already had an audit panel to oversee them.

Kentish Council’s move to start a public conversation about fluoride in drinking water was also rejected by the conference.

Meander Valley mayor Craig Perkins, who seconded the motion, said the proposal was not about the pros and cons of fluoridated water but to allow the community to have an informed discussion.

He said the proposed elector poll was non-binding so it did not need to be adopted by the government.