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First Term Summary

  • Mar 24
  • 20 min read

Money


Governance, Accountability and Transparency

  • Exposed Council's breaches of Anti-Discrimination Act and held them accountable for direct discrimination

  • Exposed the Lord Mayor and Council officers breaches of the Personal Information Protection Act, resulting in Ombudsman Report being tabled in Parliament

  • Expose major issues with Council's management of Right to Information requests, including unlawful attempts to restrict my access to this lawful process

  • Played a role in exposing Cr Sherlock's 'misunderstanding' of policy that led to her taking product from Town Hall 'over a number of years' for her "home office"

  • Called for an independent investigation into Cr Sherlock's conduct and the organisation's response (motion lost, Cr Dutta voted)

  • Publicly responded to Cr Dutta's obvious conflict of interest in relation to him remaining to debate and vote a matter that relates to his daughter, Cr Sherlock

  • Moved that Council discussion about the potential transfer of land on the Domain for an Aboriginal Cultural Centre be held open to the public (motion lost)

  • Demonstrated the illogical decisions coming out of Code of Conduct Panels

  • Voted for amalgamation of Hobart and Glenorchy City Councils

  • Voted against writing silly letters that are none of Council's business, like to the Prime Minister about Russian oil and Middle Eastern wars

  • Highlighted concerns around impartiality of a 'peer review' into the Stadium financials

  • Declared every cent of the generous donations received to help me fight woke anti-free speech none

  • Challenged the Council's use of non-disclosure agreements

  • Exposed chronic misuse of direct appointments employment of Council staff and advocated for policy changes

  • Fought against and had improvements in a culture of secrecy (still a long way to go)

  • Challenged the consistency, fairness and compliance with Meeting Regulations of Cr Reynolds' chairing of Council meetings on multiple occasions, providing evidence to substantiate my concerns


Policy

  • Moved that dogs be removed from South Hobart Oval in 2025 (motion lost)

  • Voted for dogs being removed from South Hobart Oval in 2026

  • Moved that Council develop an Elected Member Misconduct Policy given obvious confusion around the CEO's role in Elected Member misconduct (motion lost)

  • Exposed the hypocriscy of extensive international and interstate travel by the Lord Mayor in the name of 'climate change'

  • Moved that any any elected members travel for climate saving be approved by the Council prior (motion lost)

  • Moved that alcohol be removed from the organisation other than at specific functions (motion lost)

  • Provided considerable input into the Council's Memorials Policy so that it had a hope of being fair and balanced

  • Worked very closely with staff on Council's new Venue Hire Policy to help ensure Council stops breaking the law and that councillors finally learn they can't block political beliefs and activity they disagree with

  • Exposed serious issues with the Council's Aboriginal Strategy

  • Moved that 'acknowledgement of country' at the start of Council meetings and events be made optional

  • Exposed the absurdity of ratepayers funding 'gender affirmation' paid leave for Council staff


Planning

  • Identified major flaw in traffic data associated with a housing development for St Vincent De Paul and after initially voting against the development (on incorrect data), voted for the development when information corrected

  • Voted for a zipline

  • Voted for redevelopment of the Prince of Wales Hotel

  • Voted for new homes and visitor accommodation on old Win TV location in New Town

  • Advocated for the rights of property owners

  • Communicated to the community about the status of visitor accommodation permits

  • Voted against increasing further regulation around trees on private property

  • Voted against 'banning' car yards from Hobart

  • Voted for new hotels, including in Davey St and Sandy Bay Road

  • Voted against lobbying Parliament to vote against the Stadium

  • Voted for new homes, including in Lenah Valley and Sandy Bay and Campbell Street and Battery Point

  • Voted for new commercial space in the CBD

  • Voted for new education facilities

  • Followed through on my commitment to preserve the UTAS Sandy Bay campus

  • and much more.........


Services


Community

  • Advocated for the retention of the Dr Crowther statue

  • Voted against the removal of Dr Crowther bronze statute

  • Moved that Council ask for Dr Crowther's statue to be housed in the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (motion lost)

  • Move that Council ensure a third space that people of either sex and people with a 'gender identity' can use in addition to the space that they choose based on sex or 'gender identity' is available in Council toilet and change facilities to

  • Highlighted the absence of diversity in relation to political belief and activity in Council strategies and policies

  • Co-hosted two Australia Day events

  • Supported fairness for Salamanca Market stallholders


Infrastructure and Transport

  • Advocated and voted against bike lanes on both sides of Collins Street

  • Advocated for 'clearway' model to increase cyclist safety in Collins Street

  • Expose that Collins Street changes are highly unlikely a genuine trail

  • Moved that Council take action on a future for Dorney House given it is not being used and costs ratepayers over $200,000 per year to hold

  • Advocated for community access to Mount Wellington be maintained

  • Voted against making the entirety of West Hobart 40km/ph

  • Highlighted long-term breakdown of EV charger at Dunn Street Carpark

  • Voted against making Argyle and Campbell Street bike lanes permanent

  • Highlighted the flawed logic that hire escooters 'save the climate' and that they are mostly walking replacements

  • Confirmed that the Tasman Bridge is not "pretty much about to fall over" as wrongly claimed

  • Moved that issues created by Council's changes to Collins Street be urgent address (supported)

  • Highlighted that the limited data the Council has on bike lane usage has been impacted by illegal escooter use (Council later realised escooters aren't allowed to use bike lanes after previously promoting bike lanes for escooters)

  • Foresaw and forewarned that reducing the exit from Centrepoint carpark to one lane would cause serious congestion issues, and sure enough, proven correct

  • Moved that Council take action on the abandoned information booth in the Elizabeth Street Mall (Motion supported)

  • Advocated for cyclist, escooter and driver safety and 'sharing the road'

  • Supported the MacPoint Stadium

  • Voted against the 'scramble' crossings and spending $160,000 on them (because we aren't Tokyo)

  • Questioned and voted against the Council's Transport Strategy

  • Advocated for bike storage and end of ride facilities


Little Bits




Motions to Council


Collins Street

  • That the Council require officers to resolve issues that have been created as a direct result of the changes to Collins Street as part of the Transforming Collins Street 'Trial', including safety insufficient turning space for buses, the removal of a 'drop zone' outside the Village Cinema that is impacting trade and access, including for young people, elderly people and people with a disability, and the reduction in traffic lanes exiting Victoria Street (including Centrepoint Carpark). (sent to workshop)

  • That the Council require officers to undertake a community awareness campaign, which includes on-location signage, advising the community that it is illegal for escooters to be used in the separated bike lanes on Collins Street (sent to workshop)

  • That the Council request officers to investigate the feasibility of timed clearways being implemented in Collins Street to support bicycle and scooter use with on-street parking remaining outside of these times, and for details and findings to be provided to all elected Members at the earliest opportunity (before the July 2024 Council meeting).


Flying for Climate

  • That the Council request officers to prepare a policy (or update existing policies) to reflect that  a strong preference is for participation in any 'climate change' meeting or event is electronic, that air travel for Elected Members/staff/consultants for 'climate change' events require pre-approval by Council/CEO focused, unless approved in advance by the Council. (motion lost)

Right to Information

  • That Council notes that the Council has been subject to 12 Right to Information Act related external reviews conducted by the Ombudsman since 2022 and that 11 of these have been at least party adverse to the Council.

  • Notes that, as part of these external reviews, the Ombudsman has passed comment on a range of matters that indicate issues related to how the Act is being interpreted and applied by the Council.

  • Confirm its commitment to the objects of the Right to Information Act 2009, which include increasing the Council's accountability to the community and the community's ability to participate in their governance through the provision of information, and supporting the community's access information that the Council collects.

Plumbing

  • That officers prepare a report for Council's consideration at its November meeting (or before) that outlines:

    • the current situation in relation to plumbing permits and service standards, including in relation to processing timeframes and complaints 

    • the setting of improvement targets and associated timelines for achievement 

    • a communication and education strategy focused on improving the experience for users of the Council's plumbing services 

    • the current status of issues associated with PlanBuild and actions that will be taken to improve useability of the system.

Artificial Intelligence in Planning

  • That the Council provide its high-level endorsement for officers to pursue early investigations into AI in the planning and request that officers prepare a report for Council that addresses:

    • the current situation in Tasmania related to AI use in planning

    • what, if any, feasible options are currently available or likely to be soon available to the Council to enable the Council to benefit from AI in planning and

    • and a recommendation informed by the above.


Dorney House

  • That the Council request officers prepare a report for Council that addresses:

    • the current situation in relation to the use of Dorney House and why previous uses ceased

    • barriers to future use, such as heritage obligations, zoning, fire risk, liability and road access

    • the ongoing costs to the Council for holding the property, including relating to insurance, maintenance and loan costs

    • potential options for the future of Dorney House, including consideration of sale and long-term leasing and

    • and a recommendation considering the above.


Dogs South Hobart Oval

  • Foreshadowed motion that South Hobart Oval be included as restricted at all times with the restriction commencing on 1 September 2026 and Council provide a fenced dog exercise area at Wellesley Park below the sportsground north of the playground off Wentworth Street with work to be completed by 31 August 2026.


Dr Crowther Statue

  • That the Council:

    • condemn the destructive vandalism of the Dr William Crowther statue

    • support the timely and professional repair of the statue

    • confirm its support that a new permanent home for the statue must be facilitated that provides safe and secure public access to the statue 

    • requests officers to prepare a report for the Council’s June meeting that addresses:

      • when and by whom the statue will be repaired

      • the direct and indirect cost of the statue’s repair to the Council

      • how the conditions on the Council’s planning permit and Heritage Council of Tasmania consent are impacted and will be managed given the statue’s vandalism

      • the status of negotiations with collecting institutions around a permanent home for the statue

      • the feasibility of the statue being offered for sale to the community.

  • That Council:

    • acknowledge that there is substantial doubt over the accuracy of the statement that Dr William Crowther removed Lanne’s skulls

    • require that the City publish on its website a statements detailing the conduct that the City believes Dr William Crowther undertook towards William Lanne and provide links to (or copies of) the primary sources relied on to support these beliefs as soon as practicable

    • require that historians and interested parties be invited to submit statements detailing the conduct that they believe Dr William Crowther did or did not undertake towards William Lanne and provide links to (or copies of) the primary sources relied upon to support these beliefs, with the City to publish these on its website in a timely manner as they are received.



Security Cameras in North Hobart

  •  That the Hobart City Council require officers to:

    • arrange for the urgent installation of security cameras on the traffic lights at the intersection of Elizabeth and Pitt Street, North Hobart

    • develop and implement an action plan to ensure that the entirety of Elizabeth Street from Tasma Street to Federal Street and the entirety of the Condell Place carpark, Tony Haigh Walk and Burnett Place are covered with security cameras

    • meet with North Hobart Traders within 14 days to hear their security concerns and to agree on practical actions to alleviate security issues in their precinct in addition to the above and

    • provide a detailed report to Council within 90 days on the actions taken and planned related to security in the North Hobart precinct.

  • That the Hobart City Council require officers to:

    • develop and implement a grant program for North Hobart and CBD traders that assists them with the financial burden of installing and managing of security cameras for the exterior of their premises on the condition that the exterior footage captured is to be kept for at least 30 days and that when the footage is requested by Tasmania Police or the City of Hobart that it is to be provided in a timely manner

    • undertake an audit of security camera and security lighting coverage across public areas of the CBD and other crime hotspot areas and provide a report back to Council with recommendations and

    • ensure that the City’s security camera network is at all times managed to provide maximum benefit.


Housing Incentive

  • That Council request officers to prepare for Council’s consideration the principles and processes for a rebate program that focuses on incentivising property owners to rent underutilised bedrooms in their principal place of residence by offering them a financial discount on their Council rates.

 

Labor vandalism costs

  • That the Council support officers issuing the Tasmanian Labor Party with a invoice to recoup the costs incurred through the of the removal of hundreds of political advertising stickers that were placed across the city on Council infrastructure. (Motion supported)


Off-Peak and 15 Minutes Free Parking

  • That the Council request officers to provide a draft Parking Management Plan as part of the Transport Strategy in a report to Council by November 2023 that:

    • considers a plan for implementing peak and off-peak parking rates for on-street car parking, including recommendation of rates and times

    • considers a plan for implementing on-street parking arrangements that provide the first 15 minutes free of charge.


Acknowledgement and Welcome to Country

  • That the Council approve:

    • the Acknowledgement of Country being removed from the Council Meeting and Committee Meeting Agendas and be replaced with an Acknowledgement of Country that occurs before Council Meetings and Committee meetings and

    • the Welcome to Country be removed from the actual proceedings of Council run events and replaced with a Welcome to Country that occurs prior to the commencement of proceedings Council events.


Workplace Culture

  • That the Council:

    • note that the successful execution of the Council’s strategy is contingent on the City of Hobart being supported by a healthy organisational culture and a skilled, resilient and appropriately structured and resourced workforce that feels valued, heard, understood, informed and supported and

    • include in its updated Strategic Plan an outcome(s) and strategies that relate to the Council’s desired organisational culture and workforce.”

Privacy Act Breaches by Lord Mayor and Staff

That Council:

  • Note that the Ombudsman has determined that the Hobart City Council breached the Personal Information Protection (PIP) Act on four occasions.

  •  Note that Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds maintains that she did not breach the PIP Act, with Cr Reynolds quoted in the Ombudsman’s report stating that her conduct was “lawful and legitimate,” and that this is despite the Ombudsman declaring that ”the sharing of the complainant's personal information by the Lord Mayor is an example of the type of disclosure the PIP Act is designed to protect against.”

  •  Note that the CEO’s public statements that the Council provided Louise Elliot with an “unreserved public apology” was made several months before the depth of the breaches was uncovered and substantiated by the Ombudsman, and that an “unreserved” apology cannot be made when the Lord Mayor continues to deny wrongdoing, let alone be apologetic for their conduct.

  •  Note that this is third piece of fundamental legislation that the Hobart City Council has failed to comply with in relation to Louise Elliot’s attempt to book Town Hall, with non-compliance spanning the Anti-Discrimination Act, Right to Information Act and Personal Information Protection Act.  


Womens Rights and Inclusion

  • That Council:

    • note the statement (the Statement) from the United Nation’s Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Ms Reem Alsalem, titled Allow women and girls to speak on sex, gender and gender identity without intimidation or fear: UN Expert, dated 22 May 2023 and

    • agree that women and girls must be able to constructively and respectfully and speak on issues of sex, gender and gender identity within the Council and in our community without fear or intimidation and

    • consider this Statement when safety, diversity and inclusion related frameworks, strategies and plans are reviewed or developed in the future, including future reviews of the City’s Community Inclusion and Equity Framework and Social Inclusion Strategy (motion lost)

  • That the Council:

    • acknowledge that all community members should be able to feel safe and comfortable using the City’s change rooms, and toilet and shower facilities and

    • adopt a policy position that as the City develops new and/or renovates existing change rooms, and toilet and shower facilities, that:

      • where communal shared spaces are offered, that it will seek to provide at least three segregated communal shared spaces; namely a space for females/women, a space for males/men, and a space that is for people of all sexes and genders, noting that this is in addition to (not replacement of) any other spaces where there is a requirement or other need (such as accessible facilities for people with a disability and facilities for parenting and family groups) and

      • it will seek to increase the supply of separate, individual change room, toilet and shower facilities which are solely used by an individual or a group known to each other (such as a family group) which can be accessed directly without passing through a segregated communal shared space.”


Legal Expenses and Invoices

That the Council:

  • approve the immediate suspension of Section Q ‘Reimbursement of Legal Expenses’ of the Elected Member Development and Support Policy and

  • approve that, following the suspension of Section Q, that:

    • no elected member can access any financial assistance (including reimbursement) from the Council for legal costs incurred after the approval of this motion and

    • no Council funds (including through direct payment of invoices) can be used to fund legal costs that exclusively or substantially relate to any individual elected member(s) incurred after the approval of this motion and 

    • the Council’s indemnity insurance cannot be accessed to fund legal costs that exclusively or substantially relate to any individual elected member(s) incurred after the approval of this motion and 

  • that points 1 and 2 above apply until the Council approves the reactivation of Section Q of the Elected Member Development and Support Policy or an equivalent policy position on legal expenses and

  •  that officers bring to the Council a revised policy position on legal expenses for approval by 28 February 2025.

  • That, in accordance with Section 28B of the Local Government Act 1998, the Council require the CEO to make available to all elected members the information Cr Elliot sought from the CEO on 29 November 2024 2:03pm by email that relates to legal expenses. Specifically, this is to require the CEO to provide all invoices in the Council's possession that relate to provision of external legal services for all elected members on the Council to date this term (since 2022) and for the previous term (2018-2022).


Snackgate

  • Request for an independent investigation into Cr Sherlock's conduct and the organisation's response (motion lost)

  • Request for CCTV footage that is understood to capture Cr Sherlock and/or her associates removing product from the Elected Member Lounge and Town Hall (motion lost)

  • That the Council develop a policy that governs how the Council, including the CEO, responds to potential misconduct by an elected member (motion lost)

  • That the Council all alcoholic beverages from across the organisation, including the Elected Members Lounge be removed and alcohol only be provided for Council receptions, events and functions


Elizabeth Street Information Booth

  • That a report be prepared for Council that outlines the options for the future use of the Elizabeth Street Mall Information Booth, including examining the feasibility of the asset being offered for commercial lease.


Deputations to Council

  • That the Council require a policy to be developed (or an appropriate policy to be updated) that captures deputations to Council meetings which is consistent with the following principles, and request that the policy be returned to Council for approval by 31 January 2025:

    • Community members can make deputations to the Council at Council meetings

    • Requests from community members should be made, ideally in writing, at least 24 hours prior to the Council meeting

    • Deputations must relate to an item listed on the relevant meeting’s Council agenda

    • Deputations should not exceed five minutes each

    • The meeting Chair can provide consent for a deputation to be made

    • If the meeting Chair does not provide consent, an elected member can move a motion without notice that seeks support from the Council for the community member to provide a deputation at the beginning of the relevant agenda item.


Code of Conduct

  • That the Council supports the Lord Mayor to write to the Minister for Local Government and Director of Local Government advocating for the Local Government Act 1993 and Code of Conduct policies and processes to be updated:

    • to provide Code of Conduct respondents with a reasonable timeframe in which they can lodge a review of a decision (such as a 30-day appeal period from the date the Determination Report is received)

    • to ensure that a Determination Report is not to be published on a Council agenda until the appeal period expires (if no review has been lodged) or until the review of the decision has been resolved (if a review of the decision has been accepted) 

    • to ensure that any sanction resulting from the Determination Report is not implemented until the Determination Report has been published on a Council agenda 

    • to ensure that any Determination Report and associated sanction is to be treated with the utmost confidentiality until the Determination Report is published on a Council agenda.


Non-Disclosure Agreements

  • That the Council require:

    • a relevant policy to be developed (or updated) that governs the Council’s use of Non-Disclosure Agreements, with the policy returned to Council for approval and

    • that the Legal Expenses section of the Elected Member Development and Support Policy to be updated to facilitate Elected Members being able to access Council-funded independent legal advice when they are requested by the Council to be party to a Non-Disclosure Agreement.


Officers Reports

  • That the Council require that all reports that come to the Council are to:

    • include a full description of estimated costs for the life of the entirety of the activity and the budget status for the costs

    • describe the use of any external consultants, including a description of why the use of external consultants is required and, when external consultants are not based in Tasmania, a description of why the use of non-local consultants is required and how the Local Preference Procurement Policy has been applied and

    • describe what, if any, opportunities there are for the Council to collaborate with other councils on the topic of the report to support information, resources and benefit sharing, and the status of and timeline for collaboration, particularly in relation to collaboration with Glenorchy City Council.


Direct Appointments and Talent Policy

  • That the Council notes the Ensuring Recruitment in Tasmanian Councils is Merit-Based Report published by the Integrity Commission and its relevance to the governance of the Hobart City Council.

  • That the Council require the Talent Acquisition Policy and Procedure to be updated and returned to Council at its September 2023 meeting for approval, with updates to include:

    • strengthening the parameters around when direct appointments are permitted and associated requirements

    • review of conflict of interest identification and management strategies to ensure they are fit for purpose

    • any other updates as required, particularly in light of the Integrity Commission’s report.

  • That the Council require that the updated Talent Acquisition Policy and Procedure and all other human resources and work health and safety related policies be published in the Council’s public website as soon as practicable after approval, unless there is a reasonable reason for a specific policy to be publicly available.


Competitive Recruitment

  • That the Council require that recruitment in the City of Hobart is to be undertaken through open and competitive recruitment processes, and that direct appointments are to be made only when there is an operational need to fill a position quickly and that direct appointments are not to exceed a period of six months and are to be used to provide coverage while an open and competitive recruitment process for the position is being undertaken.

  • That the Council confirm that selection decisions in the City of Hobart are to be based on merit and free of all ineffectively managed conflicts of interest, including associations and relationships.

  • That the CEO provide a report to the Council for consideration at its August 2023 meeting that:

    • describes what actions the City has undertaken in response to the Integrity Commission’s report for Operation Smithies titled, A review of systemic misconduct risks in recruiting local government employees in Tasmania, as identified in an investigation into alleged misconduct in 8 recruitments at a council

    • describes the volume and nature of the direct appointments that have been made in the period 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2023, including a breakdown of how many of those appointments have been permanent, fixed-term or casual appointments and the seniority of these appointments

    • a description of the prevalence of conflicts of interest and prior associations and relationships in the direct appointments made at (b) and how these were managed.

 

UTAS

That Council:

  • 1.    Notes the resounding 74% vote against campus relocation in the elector poll and the Council’s obligation to represent the community

  • 2.    Notes that the council did not pursue community input for its views on the UTAS proposal to fully relocate into the CBD and has, therefore, not appropriately consulted under the Council’s Community Engagement Framework so that Council can accurately represent the communities concerns or other

  • 3.    That the Council officers develop a consultation program that complies the Council’s Community Engagement Framework and present to Council for consideration, with the consultation program to ensure the community has clarity in relation to the purpose of the consultation, what the information they provide will be used for and what is in and out of scope

  • 4.    Agree that UTAS’ most recent consultation process – branded the ‘Shake Up’ – does not fulfil the Council’s previous requests for UTAS to consult the community, given participation and scope of the process was limited and it did not include the community’s views on the decision to relocate  

  • 5.    That the Lord Mayor write to the UTAS Vice-Chancellor and the University Council:

    • a)   advising that, based on the elector poll, their proposed relocation to the CBD is not supported by the community in the City of Hobart, and urging them to respect the wishes of the community that is most affected by its proposal and urging them to reconsider their full relocation

    • b)   advising that the City of Hobart is intending to undertake its own public consultation process that seeks to understand the nature of the community’s concerns with the relocation

    • c)   advising that it is Council’s view that the ‘Shake Up’ process does not fulfil the Council’s previous requests for UTAS to consult the community (as requested by Council via letter to Vice Chancellor Rufus Black on 23 March 2022 and 8 September 2022)

    • d)   requesting that UTAS undertake genuine and thorough consultation with the Greater Hobart community focussing on the reasons for the relocation, the costs and benefits of relocation, and the alternatives to full relocation, including refurbishment of the Sandy Bay campus

    • e)   requesting that UTAS pause all activity related to its proposed relocation until it has undertaken consultation of the Greater Hobart community ( as referred to in c. and d. above) and

    • f)    encouraging UTAS to make available to the public and include in the consultation process all information that was gathered to inform the decision made by the University Council in April 2019 to relocate the campus. 

  • 6.   Supports the Lord Mayor in writing to the UTAS Vice Chancellor, the University Council), Save UTAS Campus Incorporated and the State Government asking if they would be willing to participate in meaningful talks between their nominated representatives that are convened by the Council in relation to the results of the elector poll and future options, and;

  • 7.    Requests that Council officers prepare a report for the Council that describes how the UTAS commitment in the Hobart City Deal changed after the Deal was signed by the Lord Mayor and others in February 2019. This report is to include when the change was made, why the change occurred, who initiated, supported and approved the change, when the Lord Mayor and Council were informed of the change, and why the change was not communicate to the public before or upon the change being made.

 

  • That Council support ‘Respect the vote, Save UTAS’ signage being placed upon (or near) the plinth in Franklin Square until such time that an alternative plan for the empty plinth is ready for implementation.

  • That the Lord Mayor, on behalf of the Council, invite representatives from the Tasmanian University Student Association to meet with the Council to discuss:

    • what is beneficial and detrimental to learning and student life from an urban and building design perspective and

    • their concerns with UTAS’ intended full relocation from the Sandy Bay campus to the CBD.




 
 
 

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