Fury over plan to gag local councils

LOCAL government representatives have reacted angrily to claims by a Hobart City Council alderman that Tasmania’s councils are wasting time debating issues outside their jurisdiction.

Yesterday, the Tasmanian Liberal State Council voted to ask the State Government to investigate measures to stop councils “wasting time” on issues such as climate change that may be the pet projects of individual councillors but not under the control of municipal councils.

Former Tasmanian MP Adam Brooks said there were many “halfwits” on local councils but they had a right to be heard as elected members.

Councillor Simon Behrakis said his council spent a third of its three-hour fortnightly meetings talking about issues over which local government had no purview.

Fellow Hobart City counsellor Mike Dutta said Cr Behrakis’s comment verged on “blatant exaggeration” and lacked veracity.

“Under the provisions of the Local Government Act the council has the following functions: to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the community, to represent and promote the interests of the community and to act in the best interests of the community.

“It’s not about the ‘left — wing green councillors who are chasing their pet projects’ but it’s about representing the interests of our community. “We need a paradigm shift. “It’s not just about roads, rates and rubbish. We have the mandate under the Local Government Act to represent and promote the interests of our community who elected us.”