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Mac Point: a wealthy enclave?
In my last newsletter, I talked about my efforts to see that Hobart's "biggest development opportunity of a lifetime" is one that a diverse range of Hobartians can share in, not just the wealthy.
In October I moved some amendments to the planning scheme for Macquarie Point, which aimed to put into practice Council's own Affordable Housing Strategy, where Council says it will "develop planning policies to encourage affordable housing."
The Council decision about that amendment was split, with 6 Aldermen in support and 6 against....so the draft planning rules for Mac Point went out for public exhibition with no guidance on this issue.
Luckily for the 40% of people in our community facing difficulties with the cost of housing, there are champions speaking up for them. Shelter Tasmania, Tenants' Union of Tasmania, and other community housing organisations wrote submissions to Council about the need for affordable housing to get a nod in the planning guidelines for Mac Point.
Importantly, they also armed Aldermen with some excellent advice about how Councils around Australia are achieving affordable housing, how our state planning laws don't prevent us from taking action, and how Hobart is actually one of the least affordable cities for renters.
There are few opportunities that Council gets to amend a planning scheme for a big chunk of the city - and even less opportunities to influence the direction of an iconic area like Macquarie Point. This is why I have continued to try to move amendments to ensure the planning directions for Macquarie Point reflect a desire for this area to be a place where a range of housing types are available.
This week I again moved amendments in Committee to include affordable housing in the planning guidance for the Mac Point. I lost this proposal 3 votes to 2, but will try again when the plans are finalised at Council this coming Monday. Please email me your thoughts and concerns about this important issue.
Although amending Planning Schemes is a technical process, in the end, it's where Councils can actually turn good intentions into real guidelines to help shape our city. There's no need to be overly-prescriptive, but we should stand by the principle that 'we welcome affordable housing here'. Without it, Mac Point could become an exclusive enclave for well-heeled water-fronters. With gambling premises, conference centres, hotels, and a university campus already part of the proposed development mix, why not affordable housing for the people and families who will work there?
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Climate change: global is local
As someone who has worked in climate change policy for many years, I was keen to see that Hobart City had something to say about the hugely important UN climate treaty negotiations held in Paris recently.
While Tasmania seems a world away from the global policy action, many people in the Hobart community care deeply about the impact of climate change on our city, our world and our future.
That’s why I drafted a motion to give the City's official support for the People’s Climate March and express the City's hope that a global agreement on climate change is reached in Paris. I was really pleased that the motion received the unanimous support of Council.
My motion also proposed that Hobart Council join an international alliance of cities working on climate change - the Compact of Mayors is the world's largest coalition of city leaders pledging to cut emissions.
There is so much more we can and should do on climate change - our strategy expired in 2013 and while Council has cut its own corporate emissions, there has been limited action to try to reduce city-wide emissions, now a common goal of many cities. Then there is also the divestment movement - and while Council has no direct investments in fossil fuel companies about 60% of our funds are tied up in the big banks that do!
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Speak up to save the Odeon
Generations of Hobartians have enjoyed events at the Odeon Theatre. When it opened in 1916, then-Hobart Lord Mayor MacLeod said "this is undoubtedly the finest building in Tasmania".
But sadly, a development proposal approved by Council in 2012 allows it to be knocked down. The demolition is proposed as part of a large new building that will stretch along Liverpool St between Murray and Watchorn Streets.
The issue is complicated because this development has already been approved, making it harder for Council to change direction. But since the time of the 2012 permit, the Odeon has continued to play an increasingly important role for Hobart City's strategic goals, in terms of the importance of festivals and the arts to our economy.
For example, Dark Mofo injected $20 million into the Hobart economy in 2015, and the Odeon was crucial for that event. As a 900-seat venue, it’s really important for live music, films and festivals because of its perfect size - not too big, not too small. There’s no comparable live venue in the Hobart CBD.
In Council I moved to not extend the building permit that included approval to demolish the Odeon...but the motion only had the support of Aldermen Cocker and Sexton. Many Aldermen are reluctant to go against the advice of the planning staff, who insisted we did not have the power to change the permit. But we do have the power to negotiate and influence, and in my mind a refusal would have provided an opportunity to reopen negotiations with the developer and discuss options for the Odeon’s future.
On the brighter side, the media coverage and community concern generated did help initiate discussions between the owner and MONA about keeping the theatre. It’s going to take a lot of work to demonstrate the business case, and the demolition permit still hangs over the Odeon...but at least speaking up to protect these special places can provide a bit of hope for the future!
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47 percent!
In response to a question I asked at Council in May, an audit of Hobart bins found that 47% of the waste in them is food. I'm amazed that food waste fills nearly half our average household bin! And apart from this waste removing nutrients and organic matter from our food production system, there's another problem - when it goes to landfill, it rots and produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Finding ways to keep food waste out of landfill is the biggest opportunity to reach our zero waste target...but it's also one of our biggest challenges as the current tip at McRobies Gully can't handle it.
We also need to educate the community about separating food waste for composting before it's just chucked into the bin...some years ago Council funded the Kings and Queens of Compost project, which achieved some great results. While I support a food waste collection service being established, I think we can also do more to encourage the processing of food waste in the home compost bin!
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Council LIVE!
Yes, it seems too good to be true - if you can't make it in person, now you can follow all the excitement of Council meetings from the comfort of your armchair! The last Council meeting for 2015 will be this coming Monday 21 December...please tune in at 5pm at this web address:
http://www.hobartcity.com.au/Council/Council_Meetings/Council_Meeting_live_recordings
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