Timing of cable car public meeting ‘unfortunate’

TWO public meetings will be held next month to debate two hot topics Hobartians are deeply concerned about — the proposed cable car project and building heights.

But a Hobart alderman is calling for a serious look at legislation regarding “de- mands” to hold public meetings.

The Hobart City Council will spend up to $8000, with council voting 7-4 in favour of holding the public meetings at City Hall on April 16.

Greens Councillor Bill Harvey and Deputy Lord Mayor Helen Burnet both argued that City Hall was not appropriate for the meetings and rather than be “penny pinchers”, the council should hold the meeting at the Grand Chancellor as recommended by council officers.

This would have cost ratepayers about $19,000.

Alderman Damon Thomas said the two public meetings requested by the public were undoubtedly about important topics but the timing was unfortunate.

“It’s a democratic process that council must uphold but it must be done at a reasonable cost,” he said.

“The first public meeting about the cable car is unfortunate.

“It has a reference that a public meeting be held after a development application had been lodged, which would have had a lot of logic, but holding it now has no now logic.”

But the council has no choice in the matter.

Under the Local Government Act, when a petition is submitted to the council with more than 1000 signatures from valid electors from within the council area, calling for a public meeting, it must be held within 30 days of the council making its decision.

“The law is absurd,” Ald Thomas said. “There needs to be an ability for the parties to come to an agreement with the council to change the date.”