A New Way to Define Municipal Boundaries

Where federal and state electorates are defined by the number of voters across city, town and country, this rule does not apply to council boundaries.

But then, we see that council boundaries can also flow across city, town and country, and be extreme in the number of voters in each municipality.

Debate about a new wave of amalgamation is reaching decision stage in Tasmania at present, and I wonder if a new way to define a council boundary is now needed.

Looking at the Northern Midlands Council, it can be seen that most of the population is tucked up in the north of the municipality, where new suburban growth is a direct overflow from Launceston. [Fig.1]

Most of the northern midlands is farm country, where many of the by-laws and needs are quite different to those of the city and surrounding suburban areas.

In a new approach to defining a council boundary, I wonder if the line needs to be where the city meets the country.

There are currently moves toward a greater Hobart council, and news reports reveal debate about the expansion of Launceston and Devonport. [1]

Rather than random carve-ups of old councils, without regard to the nature of the community and activity on the ground, could there be a rule followed that defines where the line falls between the city and the farm?

City councils will naturally have larger populations, and a smaller land area. Country councils will have smaller populations, but a much larger land area.

The boundary of a city could be defined by the surrounding urban areas and hobby farms, while beyond this boundary the agricultural lands and rural communities will be found.

In this approach there could be three city councils in Tasmania, with greater Hobart, greater Launceston, and greater Devonport-Burnie.

Every five years the boundaries could be revisited, to determine whether the urban expansion and hobby farms were expanding into the country, or whether commercial agriculture was encroaching upon parts of the city, and adjust the boundary accordingly.

In this approach the north of the Northern Midlands Council would be made part of the City of Launceston, including Longford.

The remainder of the Northern Midlands Council municipality could be joined with the remainder of the Southern Midlands Council area, and could include the Central Highlands Council in the new council boundary.

The elastic approach, which already happens with federal and state electoral boundaries, would allow cities to be cities, and the country to be country in character and style.

No longer would there be the problem of city-minded councillors in Longford making by-laws for chooks and sheep in a country town, where the environment is quite different to near-city locations.

Rather than allowing city style urban development in a country town, country councillors will be people with a focus on the needs, wishes and lifestyle of the country.

A six lot subdivision was approved in Ross recently, including two battle-axe lots in a city style development, without regard for the country style with mainly larger lots in this part of Ross.

A country Council may see the benefit of creating high quality villages with unique character, rather than spreading city urban designs across country landscapes.

The Southern Midlands Council has been in TASCAT recently fighting to save the historic bridge in Tunbridge, even though that bridge is the responsibility of the Northern Midlands Council, who took no interest in this debate.

Was the Tunbridge Bridge a bridge too far away for the Northern Midlands councillors, more focused on the Launceston Airport?

If my proposed elastic model for defining city and country councils in Tasmania is adopted, this could end the constant uncertainty with amalgamations and carve-up tensions for the next two centuries and beyond.

I am submitting this approach as a representation to the review into the Future of Local Government in Tasmania, available at www.futurelocal.tas.gov.au.

REFERENCEs

1 Tasmania council amalgamations: Devonport, Launceston in support
Alex Treacy, 3 May 2022, The Mercury
https://www.themercury.com.au/news/politics/tasmania-council-amalgamations-devonport-launceston-in-support/news-story/80f03a446ac7ffb737c81b2bd56ab7aa

City of Launceston will submit a report for the state review into local government
Alison Foletta, 29 April 2022, The Examiner
https://www.examiner.com.au/story/7718430/launceston-looks-at-future-of-local-government/?cs=95

Kim Peart is standing as a candidate for Northern Midlands Council in the 2022 local government elections.