With under a week until votes close it is great news to hear the Resource Planning and Development Commission draft assessment have concluded that a Canal Estate at
Ralphs Bay should not go ahead.
The RPDC have acted in the long term interests of Clarence residents and ratepayers.
See this link for more:
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2009/10/21/104865_real-estate-news.html
Reply http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2009/08/26/93281_tasmania-news.html to an incumbent Alderman on this development:
“On Tuesday a proposal is announced for a half billion dollar development utilising solar energy, rainwater storage and recycling. The proposal will pump $23 million dollars a year into the local economy and sustain 300 new jobs. The developer believes he can start straight after approval.
No request for government subsidies, no long cosy lunch with a premier beforehand, no threats, no brinkmanship, no demands for a quick and dirty approval processes. As Alderman Chipman said “a really exciting proposal but there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge as part of the assessment process”.
Let’s be clear, no-one is proposing a ‘gated’ community, instead there will be several road and walkway connections into Clarendonvale. There will be mutual access to community activities and facilities like sports, art, music and anyone can buy a unit or the land on which to build a house in a style of their own choosing.
The Republic of Korea is Australia’s third biggest export market. A big part of Tasmania’s future should centre on the export of high value goods and services into this market. This centre will assist Tasmanian businesses wanting to understand and enter that market. I would think that’s a better employment future for people in Clarence than polishing floating gin palaces at a Ralphs Bay Canal Estate.
James Walker
Clarence Council Candidate”
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2009/08/25/93041_tasmania-news.html
“In the 1980s Margaret Thatcher said “There is no such thing as society” in 2009 Greg Barns tirade against Local Government (Mercury 14/9/9) effectively implies there is no such thing as community.
The Local Government Act requires Councils to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the community. Furthermore, councils are required to represent and promote the community’s interest.
Tasmania’s 29 different municipal areas are too many. However Councils such as Clarence have scale and remain viable even after the unfortunate theft (compulsory acquisition) of water and sewerage assets by Southern Water.
I would suggest that it is those Councils which are majority funded by grants and special purpose payments from State or Federal Government which are unlikely to be viable in the long term. Those Councils should look seriously at amalgamation.
Mr. Barns suggests Local Councils should be cut out of planning because State Government can deliver better planning processes for major projects. Presumably he has in mind recent examples such as the Pulp Mill fast track assessment.
Disenfranchising a local community from planning processes has long term social and economic consequences. Just ask West Australian Council’s about their experiences with canal estate developments.”
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2009/09/14/97125_opinion.html
Voluntary Voting at 17 in LGA Elections
Bruce Norman’s response (12/8/09) to Frances Bevan’s considered letter on lowering the voting age speaks more about his own maturity than hers.
At 17 society deems you mature enough to be able to drive a motor vehicle unsupervised after gaining a provisional license. If you are mature enough to be able to pursue a license to drive a vehicle then you should also be mature enough to pursue the right to vote should you wish to do so.
I would suggest that voting at Local Government Area (LGA) elections could be a form of provisional voting for those aged 17. Countries including Germany and Austria already allow those aged 16 and over to vote in local elections.
Thankfully it is not compulsory to vote in Tasmanian LGA elections so only motivated 17 year olds who went to the effort of enrolling with the electoral commission would be able to vote. This would help keep elected representatives accountable to a larger section of their community and one that often feels disenfranchised. I also believe that school leavers would have a greater understanding of the Australian political system when it came time to vote in future State and Federal elections.
The next round of Council (LGA) elections is in October and I believe this presents a great opportunity to trial voting for 17 year olds who want to help shape their community at a local level.
