Southern Tasmanian Councils have joined forces to seek changes to the Nation Building and Jobs Plan Facilitation Bill currently before State Parliament.
Chair of the Southern Tasmanian Councils Association (STCA), Ald Rob Valentine, said the Councils note the bill’s key objectives but were concerned that it had the potential to create future problems for homeowners, Councils and the State Government itself.
“We understand the Government’s desire for speed but we think there is a better way for the State Government to achieve its objectives,” Alderman Valentine said.
“Rather than stepping completely outside the current Planning System which is underpinned by strategic considerations, we propose that the State work more closely with Local Government to plan projects.”
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The Southern Tasmanian Youth Transitions Taskforce has launched a film competition – ‘Lost in transition?’ — with substantial prizes.
The Theme
The film needs to be about transitions for young people moving, and think about moving from full time high school to further education, training and employment.
It will look at aspects of transition that might include: challenges, fears, hopes, opportunities, hurdles, decisions, stepping out, entering the unknown, moving to adulthood, and so on, from a student perspective.
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The Chair of the Southern Tasmanian Councils Authority (STCA), Ald Rob Valentine said today that Southern Tasmanians were expecting ‘both major political parties’ to commit funding to the Southern Tasmanian Infrastructure Plan, which includes a bypass of Dysart, Brighton, Bagdad and Pontville and an upgraded Bridgewater Bridge.
Responding to a suggestion from the RACT that a new four lane eastern shore highway should be considered before any decision is made on the Bridgewater Bridge, Ald Valentine said that this idea was first floated in the 1970’s.
‘We believe this alternative route has been considered before, but there are some major issues associated with it, such as the cost of land acquisition, the crossing of cultural heritage sites, the lengthening of supply chains for key businesses in the South and the pressure it would put on the current intersection at Elwick,’ Ald Valentine said.
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The STCA, at its Board meeting on the June 28 2007, approved the 2007/2008 Annual Plan.
The Annual Plan, based on the STCA’s Strategic Plan, is developed each year to guide the activities of STCA staff.
Some of the key features of the plan are:
- Continuing to lobby for the Brighton by-pass, Bridgewater Bridge redevelopment and extension of the Auslink National Land Transport Network to include the Brooker Highway to the City and the Tasman Highway to the Airport.
- Ongoing implementation of the State Government funded Southern Area Task-force.
- Ongoing implementation of the Federally funded Southern Tasmanian Weeds Strategy
- Continuing to seek appropriate outcomes to the State Governments Water and Waste Water review.
- Continuation of the STCA regional purchasing program
- Continuing to develop and implement the Southern Region Economic Development strategy
Download the STCA Annual Plan 07/08 [PDF 300kb]
In the Letters to the Editor column of today’s Mercury:
I refer to G Pelham’s letter (Mercury April 3) highlighting the degraded condition of the Brooker Highway. This issue underlies a real injustice being perpetrated on the people of Southern Tasmania.
In other States the main highway into the City is part of the National Highway Network. In Tasmania the National Highway Network stops at Granton, well before the city.
In all other States the National Highway Network leads to the main airport. In Tasmania the National Highway stops at Granton.
Why does this matter? It matters because the Commonwealth Government does not believe that they should help fund the main highway into the Capital City of Hobart. This is a disgrace and our federal representatives should ask themselves how they have let this happen.
Nick Cracknel
Deputy Chair
Southern Tasmanian Councils Authority
