City of Launceston vote on submission to local government review

Councillors discussed the submission at its fortnightly meeting yesterday after a week of criticism from surrounding councils George Town, Northern Midlands, Meander Valley and West Tamar.

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The proposed submission recommended also stresses a need to address the region's 'spill over effect', which occurs when a central municipality provides services that are used by residents from surrounding municipalities who do not contribute to their costs.

The report was supported by councillors Hugh McKenzie, Rob Soward, Andrea Dawkins, Alan Harris, Karina Stojansek and Nick Daking, as well as mayor Albert van Zetten and his deputy Danny Gibson.

Cr van Zetten said the report supported Launceston ratepayers, while Cr Gibson said the negative feedback was understandable given how "councils care passionately for the communities we represent".

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Councillors Tim Walker, Paul Spencer and Krista Preece all spoke against the report - overall saying they couldn't endorse a report that seemed unfair to the region.

Cr Spencer said he thought looking at taking on Launceston Airport was not giving things a "fair go."

Cr Walker said it was understandable that this report was perceived as a threat by surrounding councils.

"We're not necessarily talking about amalgamations, we are talking about potential border shifts and boundary operations," he said.

"We have named certain areas that we would potentially like to see involved in a Launceston council ... they are significant features of those councils."

Cr Walker wanted to know what the motivation was for this report.

"We're talking about this idea, that somehow people outside our council area use our aquatic centre, for example," he said.

"Why did we build an aquatic centre that we are now saying is exorbitant in costs and then somehow turn around and say, it's because people outside our municipal area use it?

"Even if we put a walled gate around our municipality, it would still be costing us the same amount of money."

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Criticism from surrounding councils included no regional consultation or prior discussion with the councils involved and usurping parts other council's areas.

Cr Walker said the negative feedback was "justified".

"I don't endorse the idea that this is the way to go about reallocating resources, potentially changing borders, or indeed, amalgamations, even though I accept that's not explicitly mentioned here," he said.

Cr Rob Soward, who supported the submission, said the report was something that's "not plucked out of the sky" and was evidence based.

"It's based on how we see our city and how we see things operating, the cost we bear and the things that we contribute to," he said.

Cr Gibson raised concerns with negative publicity.

"It's because people have misunderstood that this submission is about lines on maps, and it's not about that," he said.

"It's about responding to a request that seeks to interrogate what form and function can ensure a robust system of government that best serves the interests of Tasmania."

Cr Gibson said this review gives all councils a chance to put forward data and a perspective and maintain local governments in a sustainable way.

"Here is an opportunity for us to feed into a process and I'm sure other councils are doing a similar thing, so the Board of Review can come forward with some with some deliverables," he said.

Frustrations grew about the debate discussing amalgamation which was not mentioned in the report.

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Cr van Zetten expressed his disappointment over the debate, as well as other council's comments in the media.

"'I'm absolutely amazed. There are people around this table that obviously have not read the report," he said.

"The report doesn't mention amalgamation, doesn't mention taking over this or taking over that. What the report is talking about is how we operate as a council.

"I'm supporting our ratepayers. Not those other municipalities.

"I was elected by these ratepayers, by a large number of them, I want to support them because they are the ones that are suffering. They are the ones that need support.

"We're giving our opinion. They've [board] asked the other councils for their opinion and another council gives a different opinion, that's good. Let them do that.

"If we can't have a community where we have disagreements, and then still get on together, there is something wrong.

"We need to grow up a little bit, be mature and look at the facts on the table."

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