The long-awaited review into Cityprom's structure recommended the City of Launceston council adopt several changes to its structure.
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The review, commissioned by the council and completed by The noagroup, based in Launceston's CBD, gave five potential recommendations - with council to vote on Thursday, with the recommendation for the third option - with some changes.
Council workshops identified the preference to progress with some refinements.
Retaining the organisation was seen as essential, referring to Launceston's CBD as the most significant employment and commercial precinct in Tasmania outside of central Hobart.
The most significant adaptation is the introduction of an opt-out option for businesses - with the review suggesting an opt-in for businesses, as it felt that Cityprom needed to work to encourage businesses to commit and actively opt-in.
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Citing pros and cons for both approaches, council reporting said that an opt-in approach would likely increase in a decreased membership, while an opt-out approach would anticipated fewer making that decision.
An opt-out approach was deemed most appropriate, but said businesses should still be given the ability to opt-in to specific initiatives undertaken by Cityprom.
In its contribution, Cityprom said it support the opt-out model.
"With an opt-out model, where everyone is automatically included and offered involvement in activations and promotions, businesses can opt-out by unsubscribing from communications or formally opting out of further communication, which translates to less administrative costs," the submission read.
"The opt-out option also considers the busy or semi-engaged individuals who may not have the time to register to opt-in but are supportive and appreciative of being included in precinct or industry promotions anyway.
"Contrastingly, an opt-in model would require considerable staffing resources to ensure membership - there would be a requirement to be constantly approaching businesses to become involved, and the value of membership would need to be continually justified and explained.
"More importantly, an opt-in option would divert resources from current Cityprom priorities around activation, advocacy and promotion.
"An opt-in option will bring forward the issue of free-riding, as city promotion and liveability will benefit all CBD businesses regardless of whether they have opted in or out; even those who do not participate or pay will get (most) of the benefit regardless."
The other recommendations were:
- Option 1: Make no change to Cityprom; its structure, boundaries and funding.
- Option 2: Make no change to Cityprom structure and funding but expand boundaries
- Option 4: Cease funding and do not replace with any structure - put responsibility for action and accountability for performance back onto the private sector
- Option 5: Cease funding Cityprom and the City of Launceston forms a city marketing and activation group as part of the Place Making Team and independent business input. To effect this option the following would need to occur: a Special Committee or Council be formed to advise and guide the Place Making and Marketing teams; an opt-in marketing partnership arrangement be established with businesses; an accountability framework is put in place to enable performance assessment; and a term of five years is set with a review to be completed in the fifth year. The result of the review to determine if the arrangement continues.
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Ebony Abblitt
Ebony Abblitt is a features writer at the Examiner in Launceston, with an interest in pets, politics and people. | ebony.abblitt@examiner.com.au
Ebony Abblitt is a features writer at the Examiner in Launceston, with an interest in pets, politics and people. | ebony.abblitt@examiner.com.au
