Margot Giblin
Haigh banged her glass of water hard enough on the table to, as he put it, intimidate Zucco. She doubted this was possible. It had been an accident, she said. He resumed his speech. She immediately had another accident. This one added the jangle of bangle to the thudding of glass. Zucco chose not to notice. Second prize.
Hobart City Council
Open Meeting
Tuesday 11 March 08
5pm
Councilors Present: Lord Mayor Rob Valentine, Deputy Lord Mayor Eva Ruzicka, Marti Zucco, Peter Sexton, Ron Christie, Philip Cocker, Bill Harvey, Elise Archer, Helen Burnet, Jeff Briscoe, Darlene Haigh.
Leave of Absence: John Freeman
Some Agenda Items
37 Summerhill Rd. West Hobart was refused permission to build an additional house. Reasons included the loss of a Eucalyptus Viminalis, the failure of the proposal to complement the built and natural values of the area, lack of curtilage, insufficient private open space and failure of the proposed front boundary fence to complement the existing streetscape.
The Friends School was granted retrospective approval for a fence built to prevent sports balls tangling with traffic. This was despite Burnet’s concerns about the style of fence above another of heritage value. She felt there could have been a more subtle solution. She was also concerned about the retrospective nature of the approval.
621-623 Sandy Bay Rd will become a bottleshop with conditions relating to noise from the refrigeration unit, odour, site contamination assessment, loading and unloading of vehicles, signage, landscaping, runoff, erosion and sediment controls, and a ban on activities on site after 9.15pm. Cocker was the only councilor to vote against approval.
827 Sandy Bay Rd was granted partial change of use, it being agreed that administration would be a better use of the site than a private home.
5 Grays Rd Fern Tree gets its shed for a truck.
Council will deliver a series of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency workshops across Hobart, for both the public and Council staff, at a total project cost of $12,000 to be funded from within the 2007/08 Annual Plan.
Briscoe said that it was unusual to state the cost before tenders were called. The General Manager assured him nothing was amiss – that it was normal practice to have a figure in mind. Sexton concurred giving the Australian Government’s practice as example, one purpose being to save people wasting time on unrealistic tenders.
Christie pushed for clarification of whether the figure had been arrived at before or after the receipt of a letter relating to the workshops from Sustainability Tasmania. The answer was that information in the letter had informed Council’s budget decision.
Briscoe and Christie voted against the motion.
A History of Hobart Tramways based on a manuscript and images prepared by Mr David Kirby will be published for an amount of up to $30,000 to be offset by an anticipated income of the same amount over a three year period. The fact that the tramways once powered the Prince of Wales picture theatre was mentioned by Valentine, who, when employed in the Information Services area of the MTT had stumbled across old journals referring to the transaction.
Building Permits. During the period 1 – 31 January 2008, 66 permits were issued to the value of $9,625,205.
In the twelve months ending 31 January 2008, 584 permits were issued to the value of $113,730,026.
In the twelve months ending 31 January 2007, 551 permits were issued to the value of $101,680,803.
Mount Wellington. The Springs Master Plan, with adjustments in response to public consultation including a change to the siting of the Visitor Centre, was accepted. Ruzicka and Cocker voted against the motion. Ruzicka’s reason was that she would otherwise be giving approval to the overall development, which she regards as sub optimal for the site.
Cycleway – Northern End of Marieville Esplanade to Southern Boundary.
The tender from John Wadsley Planning Consultant to develop and implement a program of stakeholder and community consultation in relation to the options for improvement to cycling and pedestrian facilities was accepted. It will be funded from the Traffic Policy and Management Budget Function of the 07/08 Annual Plan.
Christie noted that 08/09 is looking good for Council with several planned developments getting up.
Sexton’s strong support for the cycleway was based on the increased importance of exercise opportunities for residents which he said it was incumbent on governments to foster wherever possible.
Harvey noted the coincidence of the motion with Bike Week and asked that a press release on Council’s decision be issued.
Briscoe, in the light of Council’s failed attempt to install a bike lane along Regent St Sandy Bay, cautioned that stake holder and community consultation, if not done properly, can derail the process.
Haigh took this to be a slight on a process which she assured the meeting ‘had been done properly’.
Prize for the night in not meeting bait with bite has to go to Briscoe.
Curtis Ave. South Hobart, will be upgraded with benefiting landowners contributing financially with an option to pay over a three year period. The contributions range from $690 to $1380.
The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery will be graced with bicycle parking hoops within the Macquarie St reservation at an estimated cost of $3,000.
Permits will now be required for vehicles collecting commercial refuse or recyclable liquid material. This follows problems with leakage that have been difficult to trace. Annual permits costing $25 will be issued to leak free vehicles.
The Civic Solutions Division of Council will continue to deliver a security shredding service.
The Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT) will hold its General Meeting on 18 June 08 and it was agreed that the following motions be included on its agenda:-
That Local Government Elections be held in August or September so as to prevent any potential timing conflict with State or Federal elections.
That there be All In, All Out four year terms of office for the Lord Mayor, Deputy Lord Mayor and Aldermen.
That there be compulsory voting at the ballot box.
Burnet attempted to introduce an amendment allowing for the inclusion of any political party’s endorsement of a Council candidate to be included on the ballot paper.
Haigh saw this as ‘the beginning of the end of Council as a group of independents. I just can’t tell you how important it is not to vote for this. This council has never been openly politicized. The fewer words said the better – and they are No, No, No.’
Briscoe felt that it was such a significant suggestion that it should stand alone rather than as an amendment. He felt that his party membership was his own business unless actually endorsed by the party as a candidate. “I’ve been a Green, a Green Independent and a Liberal candidate for Franklin. What should I put?”
‘Confused? ’ Sexton proffered.
‘No,’ replied Briscoe, ‘but one of those was the biggest mistake I’ve made.’ Valentine, he went on, had also been a Green. Would he want that on a ticket now? Briscoe felt the co-operation now possible between councilors would be lost.
Elise Archer felt a distinction needed to be made between the ability to state that you are a member of a political party and the need for that to be on the ballot paper. Membership, such as hers of the Liberal Party, does not equate with endorsement.
Harvey noted that it is well recognized that local government equates with a stepping stone to other levels of government for some councilors and they should therefore be upfront about their status.
Zucco maintained that the present system allows people to find out about individual councilors – ‘and for the Greens to come and try and sabotage local government is the lowest thing to do, the lowest form of behaviour.
If Green aldermen are only coming on to Council as a stepping stone they are doing Council a disservice. If we are inundated by Greens, Liberals, Labor, Nazis-’
‘Nazis?’ asked Burnet.
‘I didn’t want to pick on the one party that does push candidates’, Zucco replied. ‘That is the scariest thing –to think that seven members of one party could – all right, call it Liberal, Labor or Nazi to keep everyone happy. Look, others might be members of political parties but they’re not told how to vote. Once you get endorsements you get an extension of the Federal and State governments’.
When Sexton, beside him, recoiled from his yell level delivery Zucco apologized. ‘I just don’t want to see the demise of local government’.
Cocker wasn’t going to argue about the politics of Council but did believe that a candidate being endorsed was unlikely to change voter decisions. It was simply a matter of transparency.
Ruzicka’s view was that seven people from one party was no different to seven people of any one persuasion. She referred to times when Council and its decisions had been dominated by business and to changes which then saw residents being represented. She ran through her own past group affiliations including Nuclear Disarmament and Greens Independent. She had left any group when it became a political party. In relation to the present motion she felt voters should be informed and endorsements included.
Valentine said that he had been independent all his life. He had belonged to a Green support group before it became a party. Withdrawing from it had been a personal decision based on his belief that political party membership puts up barriers. Including endorsements would not, he said, see the demise of local government. It happens elsewhere. But it would impact on how councilors voted on things. ‘In my view personality politics plays a bigger part than party politics on this Council’.
The amendment was lost, with Valentine, Briscoe, Haigh, Archer, Christie Sexton and Zucco voting against it. Burnet, Cocker, Ruzicka and Harvey supported it.
Inclusion of a motion on LGAT’s agenda to prohibit the notification of planning and works applications during the Easter period and over the Christmas/New Year period was passed.
Harvey introduced the final agenda item with the hope that it would be ‘lucky last’. The motion read that a report be prepared in relation to the following:
1. The Hobart City Council calling on the State Government to phase out battery hen farming.
2. The Lord Mayor being authorized to write to the Premier and Primary Industries Minister, urging them to phase out battery hen egg farming in Tasmania.
Harvey said that there was now general awareness that Council was not confined to matters of Roads, Rates and Rubbish. He said that battery hen farming was well past its use by date and given the inevitability of its demise councilors could show leadership by asking for it now. He regarded it as an animal welfare issue, dovetailing with the pending report on the use of organic and fair trade products at the Taste of Tasmania. It was also a health issue given the connection with salmonella in seven recent cases in Tasmania.
Elise Archer said that link had not been proved and that there was a fundamental problem with the motion that goes to jurisdiction. This, she said, is not about my views on battery hen farming. ‘Although I accept the motion is not unlawful the issue does not relate to a power, function or direct responsibility of the Council. It is a matter for the Departments of Industry and of Health. I don’t see the need for Council to be involved in debate on this issue given that the only indirect link I can find is that we have health inspectors – but not in this area. It shouldn’t be debated and I ask that the motion be now put.’
Initially there was no seconder for what was described by Haigh as a gagging motion.
Zucco then decided to support it, later adding that he did so to save himself from having to listen to all the arguments on this issue. Given the length, content and volume of his own a few minutes later he clearly felt no need to extend such relief to his colleagues.
Supported only by himself and Archer the gag motion was lost and debate continued.
Christie said he didn’t understand the motion.
Zucco asked if the Council had received any complaints about battery hens, eggs or farms in the City of Hobart. Thrice ‘No’ was the response.
Haigh expressed her surprise at supporting Harvey. She touched on her admiration for Pam Clarke, her own care now in handling eggs when cooking and noted that the request for youth workers was once shouted down as not being Council’s business. She objected to the attempt to gag debate. ‘Sometimes we have to show a bit of leadership. We do have Health inspectors and if eggs don’t come into it, what does? We can all be superior and move gagging orders -’
Elise Archer objected, finding the ‘superior’ comment offensive, believing it to be directed at her.
The comment was declared to have been withdrawn but not without difference of opinion around the table as to whether that had in fact occurred.
Briscoe queried the need for a report. Wouldn’t a letter asking the Government to legislate for the end of battery hen egg farming, written immediately, be sufficient? The General Manager’s view was that in order to avoid a one line response of Why? the letter from Council needed to do include well researched reasons.
Briscoe felt Council, in requiring a report first, was locked into ‘some sort of administrative nightmare’.
Zucco, standing to speak, was asked by Valentine if he hadn’t already done so. ‘No, I’ve asked three silly questions. I support Harvey’s motion but it’s poorly written’. He then moved on to salmonella and related myths. ‘It’s nothing to do with battery farming. It’s the cleanliness of the shell’. He described, at length, the making of mayonnaise and the dangers of using raw eggs in food left standing at room temperature.
Haigh banged her glass of water hard enough on the table to, as he put it, intimidate Zucco. She doubted this was possible. It had been an accident, she said. He resumed his speech. She immediately had another accident. This one added the jangle of bangle to the thudding of glass. Zucco chose not to notice. Second prize.
Issues of communication protocol for missives from Council to other levels of government were sorted. Cocker asked for an amendment stating that Council should stipulate to its own food providers that only non battery produced eggs be used.
This evoked the epithet ‘naïve’ from Zucco who doubted Cocker had any idea how difficult such a directive would be to enforce. ‘Are we going to look in every egg sandwich a caterer provides? Test every croissant?’
Harvey hoped that such a directive would be self policing, as was anticipated for Council’s stipulation that smoking not occur near children’s playgrounds.
Briscoe opined that if the move to phase out battery farming succeeded Cocker’s motion wouldn’t be necessary.
Christie wondered if it wouldn’t be simpler to just ban eggs.
The motion, with amendment, was passed with Archer, Christie and Zucco voting against it.
