News from tonight’s Hobart City Council meeting 28 April 2025

Published on 29 April 2025

Hobart Submission to the POSS Process on the Macquarie Point Multipurpose Stadium

The Hobart City Council has signed off its submission that it will make to the Tasmanian Planning Commission.

In the submission Council will say that it “does not support this project being built at this location because the negative impacts outweigh the positives.”

Council will outline its concerns in the submission which include damage to heritage sites, environmental issues, and poor planning processes.

As agreed by Council the final submission’s section on social and community issues will be amended to reflect local information and perspectives. The submission will include  both SGS Economics and AEC reports, noting some limitations and that economic impact studies are not cost-benefit evaluations.

The City has drafted a response, agreeing with many findings of the Tasmanian Planning Commission’s draft integrated assessment report but highlighting previously raised issues like infrastructure, urban design, heritage, Aboriginal engagement, event management, and environmental impacts.

The City’s Planning Committee on 9 April 2025 has expressed concerns about transparency and public involvement over the State Government plans to introduce legislation to progress the project, bypassing the usual process.

The Hobart City Council has noted and endorsed the submission to the Tasmanian Planning Commission subject to a number of additions that expand on the concerns about the social and community impacts and the limitations of the AEC Economic Impact Assessment.

While not the planning authority for the stadium, the City is an agency as defined under the State Policies and Projects Act 1993.

MacPoint Stadium PoSS – Elector Poll

The Council has decided not to proceed with an elector poll in relation to the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium Project of State Significance (PoSS) process. This advice was requested after a resolution from the 9 April 2025 Planning Authority Committee meeting.

In contrast to community members or groups who are required to first launch a petition to demonstrate broader support for an issue, the Council is able to initiate an elector poll on any issue. The last council-initiated elector poll was in 2007 about the Tamar Valley Pulp Mill.

The cost of an elector poll is estimated at $250,000, an unplanned expense that impacts the City’s operational budget.

The Tasmanian Government has not released a draft bill for the stadium yet, but through media reporting it could be debated in June 2025. The Electoral Commissioner advised that it takes three weeks to prepare for a poll, and it would need to be open for three weeks, making it unlikely to influence the parliamentary debate.

In making the officer recommendation, consideration was given to both timing and cost and the benefit of conducting an elector poll was considered low.

Annual Plan Progress Report for the period ending 31 March 2025

The 2024-25 Annual Plan shows a vast majority of the City’s 28 major actions and initiatives are progressing well. By 31 March 2025, 18 are in progress and on track, two actions have been completed, and seven are in progress but delayed. Completed actions include the Transport Strategy and the Climate Ready Hobart Strategy while on-track actions include neighbourhood plans for North Hobart, Mount Nelson and Sandy Bay, a Regional Sports Facility Plan, ferry service infrastructure, and governance for Kunanyi / Mount Wellington.

Response to Petition – Aberdeen Street Park – Request for construction of pétanque pitch and seating

A petition with 22 signatures from Glebe residents requests a pétanque pitch and seating in Aberdeen Street Park. The Council has decided to consider this request and will have officers explore options, reporting back to Council. The lead petitioners will be informed of the outcomes.

Lift the Tone Notice of Motion – Ald Louise Bloomfield

Abuse towards elected members is at an all-time high and is at further risk of being normalised and this is something the Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT), together with support from councils statewide, is working to stop.

The Council has resolved to support the Local Government Association of Tasmania’s Lift the Tone campaign. This includes promoting civility towards all, refraining from abusive behaviour, and encouraging respectful engagement. This decision addresses increasing toxicity in public discourse, which undermines democracy and deters individuals from standing for election.