Move for Accessible Council Meetings

Media release – Deputy Lord Mayor, HCC Helen Burnet & Nathan Volf, Greens HCC Candidate, 12 July 2022

ACHIEVING EQUITABLE ACCESS BEGINS AT THE TOP

Hobart’s heritage building access improvements should also include upgrades to access in the Council chamber.

At Monday’s Council meeting, making heritage buildings accessible for all – including people with disabilities – was discussed. Deputy Lord Mayor Helen Burnet and disability advocates want to ensure Hobart is providing access for all, including the council chamber and improving inclusivity in meetings.

”I think we should put our own house in order, particularly in the Council chamber. For starters, the Lord Mayor’s chair is a symbol of representative democracy, and therefore should be accessible for all. Currently it is a symbol of inaccessibility. To preside over Council meetings requires going up a couple of stairs to reach the Lord Mayor’s chair. This is not possible for those with some physical disabilities requiring a wheelchair, mobility scooter or similar,” said Hobart Deputy Lord Mayor, Greens councillor, Helen Burnet.

Disability advocate Tammy Milne, who has attended Hobart City Council meetings on her mobility scooter states; “In an inclusive society, we look to all our public spaces, including places like the Hobart council chambers, to be accessible. Through the lens of accessibility, if they’re not accessible they’re not welcoming. A public place, particularly in a local government facility, should not be sending the message to people with disabilities that they are not welcome.”

Mr Nathan Volf, who is a Greens’ candidate for Hobart in the upcoming local government election and recipient of the Tasmanian Young Achiever Award for Leadership,  has disabilities and is calling on the city council to make meetings more accessible for the hearing-impaired; “I have a hearing disability and really want to be able to clearly hear the audio of Council meetings but the sound inside the chamber interferes with the live streaming. This issue is frequently raised with me by members of the Hobart community who have told me that meetings are often inaudible because of loud voices talking over others, phones going off and chairs being moved.”

Councillor Burnet will be calling on the Council to consider means of improving accessibility in the Council chambers, to ensure that there are no barriers for the community to feel welcomed, whether they’re participating in council meetings or aspiring for the role of Lord Mayor.

“As the council works to improve access to heritage buildings, we should lead by starting at the top –  the seat of power at town hall, improving services for our own meetings and the mayor’s chair. Representation should reflect our community. That means making an effort to be accessible, inclusive and welcoming. Currently it is impossible for people with some physical disabilities, who may be aspiring future leaders, to physically sit in the Lord Mayor’s chair. At the same time we must acknowledge there is more work to be done to make meetings more inclusive and welcoming for the whole community,” Cr Burnet concluded.