ALMOST half of Tasmanian local councils are opposed to amalgamation and there is almost no support from councils for the State Government to take over planning approvals, Planning Matters Alliance Tasmania says.
PMAT and the Tasmanian Conservation Trust have called on the Government to respond to the recent council submissions to the Future of Local Government Review.
PMAT said 14 of Tasmania’s 29 councils were opposed to amalgamation, based on submissions sent to the review board. Eight are supportive and another seven are undecided.
King Island Mayor Marcus Blackie said the council would digest the info and data packs for the proposed “Western catchment” and potential King Island scenarios.
“Firstly, the Tasmanian Government has now delayed the final report to the end of October 23, to allow councils more time to consider all aspects of the reform proposals and then liaise directly with other councils in their ‘catchment’.
“The next steps for us will be to then get together to discuss the art of the possible in our groupings with LGAT on June 23, in Tassie, which is still to be confirmed.
“In the meantime, our council priorities remain setting our budget for FY23-24, ongoing works and large projects under way.”
TCT CEO Peter McGlone said councils had made it clear that there is strong opposition to amalgamations and the Minister needs to rule out forcing unwanted changes on councils.
’’Regarding planning, the submissions revealed only one council was supportive of planning being taken away from it and done by the State Government.
PMAT state coordinator Sophie Underwood said PMAT believes that planning should stay with councils.
“Only one council out of 29 wants planning taken off them.
“We don’t want to see the State Government takeover of planning and with it the loss of local representation, transparency and integrity in decision making.”
The TCT and PMAT said that if amalgamations were to take place then it should be voluntary and only occur after a majority of people living in an effected municipality vote in support through a poll undertaken by the Tasmanian Electoral Commission.
PMAT wants the community involved in the final stage of consultation on the future of local government.
Meanwhile, the Local Government Board which is leading the review has released information packs as part of the public consultation process.
The packs include a range of data and insights into each of the nine community catchments the board identified in its Stage 2 Interim Report and put forward several different scenarios for local government boundaries and service delivery models.
There are three scenarios proposed for King Island.
• Leaving the West Coast Council as is and a new council taking in Circular Head, King Island and Waratah-Wynyard;
• Extending the West Coast Council area to take in Savage River and Waratah, a council combining the rest of Waratah-Wynyard with Circular Head and King Island remaining as is; and
• Combining the West Coast, Waratah-Wynyard, King Island and Circular Head into one council area.
“The information the Board has released today provides the basis for a really good, informed, and mature discussion among councils and communities about where, as a State, we want and need to take our system of local government in the future,” Local Government Minister Nic Street said.
“I’m sure the scenarios the board is putting out there will provoke a lot of discussion and I will be keen to see how councils and communities respond,” he said.
“There is no doubt the review is contemplating some very important and complex reform proposals as we get to the ‘pointy end’ of the process.
“I recently asked the board to extend its engagement timeframe on the community catchment scenarios by six weeks to August 2. Major local government reform will only succeed if there is broad community support for any proposed changes, and it is my belief that Parliamentary support for any package will be essential in delivering that support.”