Council turns up heat on City Deal

HOBART City Council will ramp up its lobbying for a Federal Government City Deal amid fears momentum has stalled in the wake of the signing of a similar deal for Launceston.

Lord Mayor Sue Hickey said “not a lot” had happened since Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced in November that he would consider a City Deal for the capital.

The Hobart City Council governance committee agreed on Tuesday to lobby the State Government in the lead-up to the state election.

“Despite the acknowledgment that capital cities will be awarded a City Deal there have been no further announcements from either the Australian Government or the State Government,” a report to the committee by council general manager Nick Heath said.

Alderman Hickey said a City Deal offered the chance to get all levels of government working together to rejuvenate Hobart city for all its residents and visitors.

“But it needs all key players to come to the table to identify the ‘wicked issues’ which are holding Tasmania back, such as the poor Year 12 retention rates,” she said.

She said the University of Tasmania’s $400 million STEM project, if included in a City Deal, would be a catalyst for improving the productivity and livability of the city, for example through public transport and affordable housing.

Ald Hickey said a 2500-3000 seat conference centre at Macquarie Point would be a priority.

“A City Deal may also include the [$140 million] cost of removing water and sewage facilities and catalyse the vision,” she said.

A spokesman for Premier Will Hodgman said a Hobart City Deal was a great opportunity for Hobart and for the state.

“The Hodgman Government has discussed this matter with the Federal Assistant Minister for Cities, Angus Taylor, and the Prime Minister on a number of occasions since November last year, including at the recent Joint Commonwealth and Tasmanian Economic Council meeting and we will continue to work with the Federal Government to advance this exciting opportunity,” he said.

A spokeswoman for Mr Taylor said an agreement between the Federal Government and State Government set a framework for further Tasmanian City Deals.

“Talks are ongoing at a departmental level on the potential of a Hobart City Deal,” she said.

In November, Mr Turnbull said: “We are taking a very different approach to previous governments, both Coalition and Labor.

“My view is we need to have ‘ City Deals’ like we do with Launceston — and we could readily do one with Hobart.”

Mr Taylor’s spokeswoman said a $1 billion National Housing Infrastructure Facility announced in the Federal Budget could enable ‘micro city deals’.

“The facility will provide $1 billion over five years to support local governments, in Tasmania and elsewhere, to finance critical infrastructure needed to improve cities, such as transport links, power and water infrastructure and site remediation works,” she said.

HOBART needs to gets serious about sealing a City Deal. A potential deal, similar to what has been unveiled in Launceston and Townsville, was first discussed by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in November. The benefits are obvious.

At present there are several potentially transformative plans which will forever change the face of Hobart, but most are in their relative infancy. Others are concepts which are yet to be funded. But they are important and need to be pursued. It is something this paper plans to campaign hard on in the lead-up to the next state and federal elections.

A City Deal would help bring together all levels of government and ensure they are talking to, and working with, each other.

But it cannot just be a reannouncement of already approved funding. It must provide a blueprint and a vision for the future of Hobart. There are almost unprecedented levels of big-ticket plans earmarked for our city: A POTENTIAL $400 STEM project in the CBD, which has been lauded by Infrastructure Australia. A LANDMARK plan for Macquarie Point, which could well include a light rail line linking the northern suburbs with the city. NEW TRANSPORT plans, including potential ferries on the Derwent and a new Bridgewater Bridge. BIG AND SMALL hotels planned for the city to cope with record levels of tourism. AN AIRPORT runway extension which aims to facilitate direct flights from Asia. SIGNIFICANT plans to build on research capabilities and relationship with Antarctica.

It cannot just be a reannouncement of already approved funding. It must provide a blueprint and a vision for the future of Hobart.

There needs to be a plan — a City Deal — which ensures these and other similar projects interact and talk to each other; to ensure there are consistent streams of funding from all levels and the community is taken along for the ride. But our community needs to take it seriously. Lord Mayor Sue Hickey sounds a warning bell when she says “not a lot” has happened since Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s announcement in November.

The Hobart City Council governance committee met on Tuesday and agreed to lobby the State Government in the lead-up to the next state election.

Alderman Hickey said a City Deal offered the chance to get all levels of government working together to rejuvenate Hobart city for all its residents and visitors.

The State Government, critical to bringing such a deal to life, also is making all the right noises.

A spokesman for Premier Will Hodgman said the Government discussed this matter with the Federal Assistant Minister for Cities Angus Taylor and the Prime Minister on a number of occasions.

It also was raised at the recent Joint Commonwealth and Tasmanian Economic Council meeting. Then a spokeswoman for Mr Taylor said a memorandum of understanding between the Federal Government and Tasmanian Government set a framework for further Tasmanian city deals.

But from here we need to see something tangible. Something that goes beyond words and concepts. Something that brings together all the missing pieces of the puzzle.