News from Council Meeting - 16 December 2019

Published on 16 December 2019

Aboriginal Commitment and Action Plan adopted

A plan to guide policy setting and actions in relation to Aboriginal people and heritage in Tasmania has been adopted.

The City of Hobart’s Aboriginal Commitment and Action Plan (ACAP) demonstrates leadership on reconciliation in Tasmania and shows the importance and value in reconciliation to the broader community, thereby increasing Hobart’s reputation as an inclusive, proactive and connected city.

The ACAP includes 20 actions across five key themes that aim to strengthen partnerships, promote inclusion and raise awareness of Aboriginal heritage and culture in Hobart and Tasmania.

The ACAP also articulates the City of Hobart’s commitment to Aboriginal people in Hobart. This includes recognising the strong spiritual connection that Aboriginal people have with the area and creating a long-term vision that can be upheld beyond the current term of Council.

Early birds to go in 12 months

Early bird parking at two City-operated multi-storey carparks will be removed from operation in January 2021.

The 275 early bird spaces in the Hobart Central and Centrepoint carparks will be reinstated next month and will continue to operate until the regular seasonal cessation in December 2020. At that point, the early bird service will be permanently removed and the spaces returned to regular rotation.

In the meantime, the City will engage with various stakeholders, including Metro Tas, carpark customers and other parking providers in the city.

The City of Hobart will also investigate the use of licence plate recognition at carparks as a matter of priority.

More improvements for bus mall

An upgrade of the Elizabeth Street bus mall is set to continue in 2020.

New bus shelters, lighting additional seating, water fountain and street trees have recently been installed on the north-eastern side of Elizabeth Street.

This followed on from other improvement projects within the Hobart Central Bus Interchange precinct across three years.

Improvements to the south-west side of Elizabeth Street will take place next year. Works will include removal of the existing bus shelters and redundant street furniture, installation of a single new bus shelter to service two public transport departure points and the creation of a section of short term vehicle parking. The footpath will also be widened outside the Quest Savoy.

Cycleway concept plan

An initial concept design for bicycle connections in the city centre will be released for public consultation.

The plan provides separated bicycle lanes along key sections of Campbell Street and Argyle Street, linking with existing bicycle infrastructure on Liverpool and Bathurst streets.

Feedback will be sought from stakeholders prior to the preparation of a further report to Council.

A report will also be provided on the feasibility of introducing priority car pool and bus lanes on Campbell and Argyle streets.

Collaboration on waste

The City of Hobart will join with neighbouring local governments to work cooperatively on waste management and resource recovery issues and projects.

Under a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), southern Tasmania councils would collaborate on key areas of waste management, including coordinated regional collection systems, shared procurement and promotion of the circular economy and other methods to reduce waste.