Needle work

Margot Giblin

There will always be fertile ground for aldermen needling each other — the point of a committee being that it should represent different views. That any alderman would choose to use his/her paid time for the express purpose of needling should be of interest to voters.

Hobart City Council
Open Meeting
Tuesday 13 March 2007
5pm

Aldermen Present
Chairman Lord Mayor Rob Valentine, Deputy Lord Mayor Eva Ruzicka, Darlene Haigh, Peter Sexton, Ron Christie, Helen Burnet, John Freeman, Eric Hayes, Marti Zucco
Jeff Briscoe arr. 5.45pm

Apologies: Philip Cocker
Leave of Absence: Lyn Archer

Ron Christie, having resigned from the Development and Environmental Services Committee (DESC) where he was unable to work effectively with Darlene Haigh came to last night’s full Council meeting fully prepared not to work with her there either.

Haigh hadn’t been able to resist drawing attention to an ‘unusual committee’ last week at the revamped Development and Environmental Services Committee (DESC) consisting as it now does, only of women.

Ron Christie, not to be outdrawn, couldn’t resist, as this committee’s first recommendation hit the wall at full Council committee, saying that ‘our newly formed ladies’ planning committee has got off to a great start’.

When Haigh objected to his sarcasm and asked Valentine to get him to withdraw the remark Christie was ready.

He quoted her opening words from the DESC meeting precisely, reading them from a document he had brought along, pointing to the relevant section highlit in fluorescent green.

The Council minutes don’t include such nitty gritty and Christie wasn’t at the meeting so he had obviously gone to some trouble to source Haigh’s opening remarks. Anyone else interested will find them in my Tasmanian Times report covering that meeting of Monday 5th March 07. ( The new Chairman )

Unless Christie or Briscoe resigned from DESC because they can’t work with women, the fact that they left behind an all female committee is irrelevant.

Haigh had however referred to it, adding that it would be ‘a good committee’ and Christie now made a point of using her words to defend his caustic remark.

It has been suggested by a Tasmanian Times reader that I, with TT readers input, prepare some questions for those aldermen standing at the next Council election. The trick would be to ask a question that cannot be given a stock-standard answer. I can’t think of one.

Any alderman can promise anything in relation both to plans for the city and their ability to work with others to achieve these ends.

The question that interests me is just how do aldermen work with people with whom they disagree and who, on a personal level, irritate the heck out of them?

The answer can be seen in open committee meetings.

There will always be fertile ground for aldermen needling each other — the point of a committee being that it should represent different views. That any alderman would choose to use his/her paid time for the express purpose of needling should be of interest to voters.

Aldermen who find the reality of working with others beyond them have plenty of options for getting out.

Christie knows how to bait Haigh and she can’t ignore him.

They both seem to be stuck in a very small picture.

Valentine, as Chair, was unable, on Tuesday night, to prevent this waste of time and fertilizing of animosities.

Should he have to? This committee is made up of adults who have put their hand up for paid positions, promising voters to represent them.

It remains to be seen whether this little snip and snarl was the last of the Darlene–Ron fight in Council time or an indication that nothing’s changed.

Some Agenda Items

37 Summerhill Road West Hobart, subdivision. This was the item on which Christie had hooked his bait, saying he ‘didn’t understand how this got to us with refusal’. The officers’ report had recommended approval and DESC had recommended refusal with reasons. There was some suggestion in debate that it was unusual for Council to go against officer recommendation. This was refuted by Burnet in summing up debate.

Ruzicka and Burnet remained unconvinced that safety aspects related to sight lines and a steep driveway into traffic had been addressed. They were outvoted.

43 and 45-47 Colville Street Battery Point — Partial Demolition, Reduction in the Number of Dwellings from 5 to 4, Extensions and Alterations to Dwellings and Front Fence.

The sticking point here was the height of a wall. To a neighbour it represents a bulky, shadow casting and oppressive intrusion.

To the applicant it represents the potential for a future buyer to be able to garage a 4 wheel drive vehicle, if they owned one.

An attempt to meet a satisfactory compromise with an amendment to explore the possibility of a lower wall was agreed on.

International Committee of Local Environmental Initiatives (ICEI) — Local Governments for Sustainability 2007 Conference 2-7 May 2007 — Melbourne.

Alderman Cocker was nominated to attend, at an estimated cost of $2,500, to be funded from the Aldermanic Conference allocation in the City Government Function of the 2006/07 Annual plan.

Further Aldermanic nominations were sought but although there was strong support and interest other commitments may prevent others attending.

During debate on this item Zucco referred to media coverage and individual letter writers’ view of such trips as junkets.

The next item on the agenda — Proposed Expenditure of Budget Surplus — provided Alderman Zucco with the chance he’d been waiting for.

His concern was the Boot Reserve and Council’s failure to consult with the community as promised in December 06.

This reserve for public use on Churchill Avenue Sandy Bay comprises a grassy slope planted out with a copse of now mature trees. Residents, and not only from the immediately adjoining area, want it to be kept as a public reserve, and want Council to buy it. Council’s offer to the Boot family has been refused to date.

Zucco’s proposal suggested that the Boot Reserve be included in the budget surplus expenditure to the amount agreed to at a previous closed council meeting. He also asked that the HCC write to the owners of Boot reserve seeking a stay in commencement of the development until an urgent report is prepared to assess possible options on a Council/Community funded purchase. The motion referred to Council’s failure to fulfil its promise of community consultation.

Zucco also suggested the report canvas options for developing a community/council purchase model for any future requests for similar land purchases. He asked that the report be prepared as a matter of urgency.

Zucco had missed the time-line for introducing his proposal for proper community consultation earlier this year and was pleased to have found a way of presenting it.

Freeman, Chair of the Finance and Corporate Services Committee shared his pleasure: ‘Congratulations Mr Zucco, on finding a flaw in the system that allowed you to move this amendment. It’s as cunning a piece of manipulation of an agenda as I have seen’.

Sexton pointed out that while Council has good processes in place for deciding whether they want to purchase land and how much to pay it lacks a clear pathway on what to do next if a community is prepared to work with Council to acquire land. He felt that despite regarding the Boot Reserve as a lost opportunity it was still worth trying to preserve it.

Briscoe, in supporting Zucco’s motion, rejected the notion of compulsory acquisition in this case and felt that, given its history, Council had a ‘certain moral obligation to preserve the reserve’. He referred to the possibility of a Federal funding contribution in an election year.

While it wasn’t argued that the Boot Reserve provides the same wider community benefit as other parks it was acknowledged that plans for it to be sold by its private owners had produced an unusually strong response

Concerns from Ruzicka and Haigh related to whether money would be taken from other recommended projects flagged to be funded by the budget surplus. These included The Peace Park, the Lenah Valley Reservoir, the Sandy Bay Beach foreshore and public toilets in Salamanca Place. Freeman attempted to clarify the difference between theoretical spending and actual spending in assuring that all projects would go ahead in their allotted time frames.

Ruzicka still wanted to know, from the General Manager, whether Council would need to achieve the same surplus in following years to cover all commitments. Freeman interjected that she could find that out from him as Chair of the Finance Committee. Ruzicka maintained her need to hear it from the General Manager. Freeman called her ‘a rude person’. Christie and Haigh are not alone in the play-pen.

Burnet pointed out how wonderful it was for Council to be in a position to discuss a surplus — a result for which officers had been commended. Burnet had some reservations about the concept of saving Boot Reserve but acknowledged that it was clearly important to many people and so would support Zucco’s proposal as it related to getting a report done on the possibilities.

Valentine asked the General Manager how long such a report might take, referring to the urgency in relation to mooted development mooted of the site. Mr Armstrong replied that while the report might take some time the owner of the Reserve could be approached immediately as part of the process. The motion for the preparation of a report was successful.

Commercial Recycling Services will be reviewed — with careful attention paid to alerting customers to which bins’ contents are destined for shredding and which will go, intact, to the tip.

The Water Conservation Rebate Scheme will continue. Haigh’s query to Mr Thompson, head of City Services, was whether an approved device, such as a tank, bought between 31st December 06 and now would still qualify for the rebate. Mr Thompson felt that provided relevant receipts were provided, it would.

Prevention of Ice on Roads

Use of Calcium Chloride has proved effective in tests and the suggestion was that a program using it on isolated sections of Council’s roads subject to ice formation be included in the annual works programme at a cost of approx. $5,000 per annum. The areas treated would be monitored for detrimental effects on local vegetation with a report after two years. Results would be forwarded to the Wellington Park Management Trust for its consideration for a de-icing trial on Pinnacle Rd.

Briscoe wondered why a non-degradable substance had been chosen. This would stay in the soil and could make its way into water courses. He asked whether an alternative such as the biodegradable Calcium Magnesium Acetate had been considered. An effective treatment, such as Calcium Chloride, could also be a damaging treatment, he said.

Haigh wondered what difference there was between hundreds of people tossing dolomite around their properties a couple of times a year and Council spreading Calcium Chloride on roads in winter. She wondered whether Briscoe’s concern was warranted. Was Mr Thompson gardener enough to tell?

Mr Thompson: I mow the lawns.

Thompson added that Briscoe was probably erring on the side of caution, with which the proposed amendment to have another report on possible alternatives to Calcium Chloride was passed.

Illegal parking in Collins St between Ragged Lane and Terminus Row will be prevented by adding more furniture and bollards. Estimated cost $27,380 to be funded from the 06/07 Roads Infrastructure Function.

Code of Conduct

Briscoe did his best to introduce the Strategic Governance Committee’s recommendation to hold a workshop on the Aldermanic Code of Conduct. An external expert would be engaged to assist in the review of the code.

This, said Briscoe as carefully as he could, would be in relation to one part of the code in particular.

Anyone at the last Strategic Governance committee meeting knew he was referring to conflict of interest, especially the perceived sort. Haigh, alert as ever, now wanted Briscoe to spell it out. What did he mean by ‘one part in particular’?

Briscoe: We will be asking for help on conflict of interest.

Haigh: Does that mean perceived? This is a bit furry round the edges.

Briscoe: Exactly. Which is why we’re seeking expert advice.

The proposal received unanimous support.

Tightening up of conditions relating to electoral advertising on council land were approved to fit Council’s policy of not permitting any election signage to be affixed to any Council owned or controlled land, ‘except that election candidates will be permitted to display election signage on registered vehicles on Council controlled highways (including metered spaces) and car parks’.

Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGA). Several matters were suggested for inclusion on the agenda for discussion at the 2007 General Meeting. These included a review of the LGA Act 1993 to enable general business to be raised at meetings. To this Ruzicka asked for provision for motions to be split to be added.

It was.

Apology and Correction

In my report on the last open committee meeting of January 26th 07 I stated that guidelines would be broken to allow Valentine to attend the 30th anniversary of Hobart’s sister city relationship with Yaizu in Japan.

This is incorrect and I apologise to Mr Valentine.

The Lord Mayor would be within his quota of overseas trips for his term of office if he attends.

Depending on who Council finally decides is to go to Yaizu the guidelines may still be broken for other Aldermen.