Lord Mayoral candidate and Alderman Jeff Briscoe said today that he would as the first part of his plan for Hobart’s future introduce a motion for the next Hobart City Council meeting to host a major forum “It is time for Action” on the economic future of downtown Hobart.
We are all awaiting a decision by Myers whether or not they will commit to rebuild the burnt down store in Liverpool St.
A rebuilt Myers building will not on its own be sufficient, in my view, to revitalize the CBD of Hobart. But certainly the rebuilding of Myers will be very important for the confidence of the city.
A forum is important to build confidence and that we bring together all the players and the ideas people to generate ideas and actions for the future of Hobart CBD. We need the players to speak with one voice.
This is only a first step. I will be suggesting that we call this forum.
Now its time for action. It is time to be pragmatic and not visionary.
My plan assumes we cannot just let market forces alone determine Hobart’s future which will happen if we step back and do nothing.
We need to ask the hard questions including – what are some immediate actions that the Hobart City Council can do to help generate and promote economic activity?
A can do attitude – not just another report.
I believe Hobart continues to have a bright future, but as the managers of this great city, we need to always be on the lookout for ways we can improve the service for shoppers, visitors and our residents
I will be working hard to deliver it 24-7.
The ideas generated by the economic forum I am sure will not only be for traditional retail.
Ideas that Alderman Briscoe will suggest include:
*A central free bus service (similar to the free tram service in Melbourne) that links all parts of the city.
*Incentives to visit the city including free parking on weekends
*A free city street entertainment program for the city catering for parents with young children
*Smart Phone Apps that direct people to activities happening in the City including when sales or specials are happening.
