News from the Hobart City Council meeting May 2025
Published on 27 May 2025
North Hobart Neighbourhood Plan
Good urban policy and design are key to delivering a built environment that can sustain our communities into the future. The North Hobart Neighbourhood Plan sets to do this by providing a strategic framework to guide land use, development, and public infrastructure investment in North Hobart over the next 20 years, addressing issues such as transport, open space, and urban design. An implementation plan will be developed with annual progress reporting to Council.
The plan includes a proposal to redevelop the Condell Place car park site. This site has been identified as suitable for creating new public open space, a community centre, lower-level public parking, and affordable medium-density housing close to key services and transport. Extensive community engagement has shown strong support for including open space, parking, and a community facility in the redevelopment. The Council also resolved to retain majority public ownership of the site and explore public/private partnership options that prioritise community interests.
In a letter to the City of Hobart, The Australian Institute of Architects commended the process that has guided the development of the Plan and acknowledged that much of the feedback that was provided in response to the North Hobart Neighbourhood Plan – Discussion Paper from 2023 has been incorporated into the Plan.
Crowther Stage Four Interpretive Elements Methodology
The final stage (four) of the Crowther Reinterpreted Project will soon start with Council approving the methodology. Stage four of this five-year project will deliver permanent interpretive elements—featuring text and three-dimensional works—adjacent to the remaining Crowther plinth in Franklin Square, following years of community and stakeholder engagement and the legal removal of the statue’s bronze component.
UNESCO City of Literature
Hobart was officially designated a UNESCO City of Literature on 31 October 2023, with the City of Hobart responsible for managing the relationship with UNESCO. This designation aligns with the City of Hobart’s Creativity and Culture pillar developed through the A Community Vision for our Island Capital document. To support this designation, Council has approved the establishment of a secretariat and a Steering Committee—comprising the City of Hobart, Libraries Tasmania, the University of Tasmania, and Brand Tasmania—to jointly fund and guide the program. A working group of local literary and arts organisations will also contribute to the initiative. Council will provide an annual contribution of $10,000 and up to $25,000 in in-kind support.
Multi Storey Car Parks’ Operating Hours
A two-year trial has been approved to extend the Centrepoint Car Park’s weekday closing time from 6.15pm to 7.15pm and the Argyle Street car park’s daily opening time from 7am to 6.30am, with annual reviews. Additionally, the CEO is authorised to adjust operating hours of the Centrepoint, Argyle Street, and Hobart Central Car Parks when it can be shown there will be no net cost to Council.
This is the first step as planning continues for a long-term access solution to the Centrepoint Car Park, which currently operates independently of the shopping centre’s hours and means access to carpark pay stations is restricted.
An officer report will also be prepared outlining the costs, timelines and feasibility of changing the Argyle Steet carpark operations to 24 hours. The City of Hobart’s Argyle Carpark currently provides parking until 10pm. Recent community engagement showed a strong desire from local businesses to see the carpark hours extended and to better support nighttime events and in turn our nighttime economy.
Russian Oil Coming into Australia Notice of Motion - Cr Ben Lohberger
The Lord Mayor will write to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Trade Minister Don Farrell, urging stronger enforcement of Australia’s oil sanctions against Russia, particularly targeting petroleum products refined from Russian oil and imported through third-party countries.
Halls Saddle Master Planning Notice of Motion - Cr Anna Reynolds and Cr Ben Lohberger
The City of Hobart will allocate funding in the 2025/26 annual plan and budget to begin preparing a master plan for a visitor and transport hub at Halls Saddle, with the aim of developing a planning application for the site. This follows strong community and private sector support for the project, which is expected to ease congestion on Kunanyi/Mt Wellington and improve visitor access. Kunanyi/Mt Wellington is Tasmania’s second most visited tourist attraction and the most visited natural site, with 500,000 people visiting it annually. By 2028, this figure is expected to reach 700,000 annual visitors.
Domain Highway Interchange Notice of Motion - Cr Ryan Posselt
The City of Hobart will lobby the State and Federal Governments to prioritise upgrades to the Domain Highway and Brooker Highway interchange to address congestion and safety concerns. The Lord Mayor and Chief Executive Officer will write to key state and federal representatives advocating for investment in this critical transport infrastructure. Improving the Domain–Brooker Highway interchange will ease congestion, reduce delays, and make travel safer and smoother for local drivers, especially during peak times. It will also help traffic move more efficiently across the city. The Lord Mayor will also write to the state Infrastructure Minister seeking a briefing on the structural integrity of the Tasman Bridge.
Borrowings Policy Notice of Motion - Ald Louise Bloomfield
The City’s Borrowing Policy’s will be reviewed to ensure that any future borrowings are supported by a fully costed business case, based on sound financial principles. Borrowing will only be considered for priority infrastructure projects that cannot be funded through revenue, with a focus on long-term financial sustainability and responsible use of public funds.