Media release – Tasmanian Electoral Commission, 9 August 2024
Clarence City Council elector poll completed
Counting for the Clarence elector poll is now complete and electors have returned the following responses to questions about the proposed location for an AFL/AFLW High Performance Centre.
Do you support building the AFL High Performance Centre entirely within the Rosny Parklands?
YES: 14,236 (51.39%)
NO: 13,466 (48.61%)
Do you support building the AFL High Performance Centre across both Rosny Parklands and Charles Hand Park?
YES: 9,681 (35.17%)
NO: 17,846 (64.83%)
Further details, including a breakdown of responses to the second question, are available on the TEC website.
Media release – Clarence City Council, 9 August 2024
Clarence elector poll backs AFL/AFLW High Performance Centre in Rosny Parklands
The Clarence community has spoken in support of the proposed AFL/AFLW High Performance Centre being built in Rosny, as the results of an elector poll were announced today.
To the first question, 51.39 per cent of voters in favour of having the Centre built in Rosny Parkland, while to question two, 64.83 said they did not support the use of Rosny Parklands and Charles Hand Park.
Clarence City Council Mayor Brendan Blomeley said it is fantastic to have the views of the community comprehensively polled.
“I would like to thank the 28,482 residents who participated in the poll,” Mayor Blomeley said.
“This has been a great example of democracy in action, and I’d like to thank the Tasmanian Electoral Commission for facilitating the process.
“The community is more or less split down the middle and while this does not provide a definitive answer, a majority of residents support having the AFL/AFLW High Performance Centre in the Rosny Parklands.
“It also shows that this is a complex issue and one which some people see the potential of, and others have concerns with.
“What is clear is of the two options, having the centre solely located in the Rosny Parklands is the community’s preference.
“Interestingly, the view of the community closely mirrors the view of Council. Much has been made about Council being split 7-5 on the decision to submit our proposal, but quite clearly as a council we are broadly representative of the views of our community, as we have seen today.
“As the results are non-binding, Council will note the outcome at our next meeting.
“The best approach from here is for Council to work with the Department of State Growth to provide the community something material to comment on.
“If Rosny is still the preferred site, in our view the next steps would be for State Growth to share their plans and designs, to continue to inform the community, and provide specifics around what is proposed.”
Council will continue to work towards finalising a Heads of Agreement with the Department of State Growth in readiness for the facility to be ready to use in 2026.
The final figures showed a response rate of 62.80 per cent, and of the 45,351 enrolled electors, 28,482 returned their ballots.
Media release – Save Rosny’s Parks Group, 9 August 2024
ELECTOR POLL – SAVE ROSNY’S PARKS
The Save Rosny’s Parks Group announces that the recent Clarence City elector poll was a success with just over 62% of Clarence residents casting their vote.
The results showed that 13,466 or 49% of voters said NO to locating the AFL High Performance Centre in Rosny Park (old Rosny Golf Course) and 17,846 or 65% of voters said NO to the AFL High Performance Centre being located across both Charles Hand Memorial Park and Rosny Park.
The elector poll results show significant community support for saving both Rosny and Charles Hand Memorial Parks and vindicates the Save Rosny’s Parks group’s position that there needed to be more public consultation undertaken by council to accurately understand community sentiment on this matter.
The result has underscored the strong desire of our community to preserve our public parks and highlights a shared commitment among residents to safeguard these vital green spaces for current and future generations.
Save Rosny’s Parks and their supporters have worked tirelessly to advocate for the protection of these parks and are heartened by the resounding support from the community. These results reflect a deep engagement from the people of Clarence.
We remain committed to protecting our ‘green corridor’ in the heart of Clarence.
Thank you to everyone who participated and voiced their opinions. You have helped shape the future of our community and its green spaces. Well done!
For more information or to get involved in our ongoing efforts, please go to: www.saverosnyparks.com.
How to stuff up a good idea
While the people reject Charles Hand Park for the AFL High Performance Centre, they have narrowly supported the Mulder option of locating the entire centre on the old golf course.
The result is so narrow that the AFL will be justified in relocating the HPC to Kingston, on the basis of community support and lower geotechnical costs.
Unfortunately, Clarence Mayor Blomeley’s administration has chosen the divisive path by threatening opponents with prosecution for unlawful protesting and the heinous crime of tying ribbons on trees. The coup de gras was the banning elderly agitators for disrupting council meetings.
Given the economic benefits of an AFL centre while saving Charles Hand Park, I urge the AFL to hold the course, notwithstanding the Blomeley administration’s adversarial approach.
– Tony Mulder, Clarence City councillor
Divided Community – Clarence City Council’s Narrow Win on Elector Poll Raises Questions on Social Licence
People are confused about the significance of the poll results. 51% said yes, 49% said no to support the HPC being located in the Rosny Parklands.
And nobody is talking about the 65% that said no to using a combination of it and Charles Hand Park.
Why isn’t a majority sufficient?
Because 51% majority suggests that nearly half of the community is opposed to the proposal and raises significant concerns about the council’s social licence to proceed.
51% support for a project is not an ‘overwhelming majority’
Yet Mayor Blomeley has contintually used that phrase to signal he had social licence. We now know, he does not.
For a major project, especially one involving long-term changes to public land use, council needs the backing and cooperation of the community. They need social licence.
If council does not reconsider its decision, and developers (AFL and DSG) push on, there are a number of legislative processes to go through.
Each of these will allow the public to raise their concerns about the lease of public land, the change of use and particularly to ensure the alignment to broader planning objectives, such as sustainability, environmental protection and community benefit.
These requirements are designed to protect public interests. And, if proper procedures are not followed, or the decision made can be shown not be in the public interest, there will be avenues for appeal.
The narrow win in the elector poll serves as a clear signal to the Clarence City Council: the community is divided, and without overwhelming support, the council lacks the social licence to proceed with the AFL high-performance centre development in this location.
Moving forward, greater community engagement and transparency will be essential in bridging this divide and ensuring that any future developments reflect the collective will of the community.
– Christine Bayley, Montagu Bay
