Nothing off limits Q&A with Mayor
An open interview with Dorset Mayor Greg Howard and Editor Taylor Clyne discussing topical issues
After putting a call out to our readers earlier this week asking them exactly what they’d like to know in relation to topics, progress or plans under the Dorset Council’s control, we were delightfully flooded with responses.
Below is a combined selection of questions from both the newspaper and the public. Unfortunately, due to space reasons we were unable to print every reader question
Instead we selected questions that haven’t been answered recently in the paper/media, aren’t readily available to the public and included issues across the entire municipality.
Due to the overwhelming response we will plan another Q&A later in the year but please keep the communication channels open as the topic could well evolve to a story.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to get in touch.
It's been sixteen months since we last sat down for a candid chat, how would you say Council has been performing in the community’s eyes since then?
Council has been delivering record capital expenditure budgets around the $10 million mark with capital projects delivered in most areas of the municipality.
We’ve also had five years of operational surpluses in excess of $1.5 million which has allowed us to maintain the cash reserves to undertake those capital works.
If it was me, I’d be pretty happy with how Council is performing – there would be few Councils of our size in Tasmania that would be delivering on that scale.
On top of that we have been able to maintain rates at a low level, have not raised fees and charges for a number of years and have made it much easier for residents to participate in recreational and cultural activates by removing lease fees for non for profit organisations and scrapping swimming pool fees.
Okay let’s get into it: Why are two bedrooms, a lounge room and ensuite being built in the new works depot at Derby? The old site does not have one.
There is going to be a two-bedroom unit built on the mezzanine floor of the new depot building.
This will be used to accommodate event sponsors, World Trail staff while doing track repairs and Council staff where necessarily.
Council currently purchase accommodation for these groups from accommodation providers in what is already a very tight market.
Can Council management use this space outside of work events?
No, they cannot.
Regarding the ‘safe towns’ roll out in Bridport recently is this something Council would support in other towns?
Yes, we would roll this out in other towns if there was an identified need.
You would think the only other towns might be Scottsdale and Derby where you have large numbers of children.
Given there was so much public rivalry prior to the Council election last year how are the mix of personalities and views of Councillors playing out behind closed doors?
Generally, the relationships between Councillors are very amicable and whilst all Councillors don’t necessarily agree with decisions they are still bound by the decision of Council.
Why doesn’t Council have a person working, at least part time, in the role of tourism and community communications when many other Councils have a dedicated staff member in this position?
It’s not the responsibility of Council to promote any particular industry over another and it would be easy to argue that if an appointment of a person to promote tourism was undertaken then similar staff appointments to promote our other major industries would also be required.
As far as community communications go, that role is currently shared between a number of staff members.
In the past, Council has been known to have a high staff turnover, this appears to have slowed down – why is that?
No members of the current staff are close to retirement and staff members generally seem happy in their jobs and are performing extraordinarily well.
What is Council’s budget for the DerbyFest, including staff time components?
DerbyFest is not about spending rate payer’s money, its about outlaying money in the hope of a financial return while at the same time promoting what is undoubtably a world class destination.
The event is being co-sponsored by the State Government and Shimano on a three-year deal.
The aim of DerbyFest is to promote the mountain bike trails in order to keep it at the top of the pile of world biking destinations.
The use of staff for logistical purposes is not costed against any event in the municipality where Council staff are being provided.
How is the allocation of funding for community events determined?
Of the events that we sponsor the organisers have applied for a sponsorship arrangement and this is approved or otherwise by Council based on merit.
Do you think it’s fair that Council is running an event like DerbyFest when other similar events that promote a local town or product, namely the Tassie Scallop Fiesta, are run by community volunteers?
I think it is fair because it’s about promoting something that is owned by the ratepayers which has had a significant impact on the growth of the visitor economy in the North-East.
Events like the Scallop Fiesta, Manalargenna Day, Bridport’s End of Summer Party, the Bridport Splash and Rotary Ride and Run are sponsored directly by Council as well as providing logistical support and rubbish removal.
Talk around the town is there are plans for the Bridport Hall to be removed to make way for a new development now that the Multifunction Centre is upgraded for wider community use. Is this the case?
No there has been no discussion whatsoever.
Is there a plan to build a toilet block in the camping area near the pump track in Derby or further innovate that area?
It’s not on our immediate agenda to build toilets but depending on further development of the current depot site it may be necessary at a future point in time.
There is a Derby Community Trust that is being set up to develop and expands that space too.
With reference to the part of the planned cycle trail that is within the Launceston Municipality, will Dorset Council be liable for all costs relating to maintenance, repair of the trail and any damage to adjacent property owners caused by users and the corridor manager?
It is highly unlikely that there will be any damage to neighbouring properties from pushbike riders, but otherwise maintenance costs, insurances etc will be borne by Dorset Council.
Why hasn’t development in Derby been under strict guidelines, keeping to the historical architecture and visual beauty the town has to offer?
There is a mess of styles and building materials that fracture the look of the town with little thought to aesthetics and gardens.
I disagree with that, however there is a construction plan for Derby which takes into account heritage values, material type, colour and general aesthetics.
We have limited scope to enforce colours, but we can certainly strongly recommend appropriate colour schemes.
Quite a few people are waiting for the rural living re zoning to go through, so they can subdivide their blocks. When will this be happening and why does it keep getting delayed?
New rural zones will be part of the new statewide planning scheme and an implementation date for that scheme is currently unknown, but it is likely to be more than 12-18months away.
Infrastructure has seemingly been ignored in Derby as in parking of vehicles, including cars, mobile homes, and four-wheel drives towing caravans. Often only one car can drive through the highway whilst others wait in line.
Have Council considered the need for a safe crossing?
All Council can do is declare parking zones and appropriate times, policing of those parking zones are undertaken by Tasmania Police who will respond if there is a complaint but don’t police the space as a matter of course.
The speed limit is 50km, people should be able to navigate their way across the road without the need for a crossing.
We don’t have the evidence for the need for a crossing currently.
What is the strategy for long term sustainability of Derby as a mountain bike destination? Is there a strategy?
The strategy is to maintain the trails to a world standard and refresh parts of the trails where necessary. Given its current popularity and status on the world stage we believe this will keep our trails at the top of the pile.
To date none of the other trail networks that have been built recently in Tasmania and Australia have had any real impact on the patronage of Derby.
What happens if Tim Watson leaves Dorset? Who else has intimate knowledge ensuring the economic growth through the visitor economy is sustainable?
There are other active groups within the municipality which are currently driving the increase in the visitor economy and it is not solely reliant on Council or any particular individual.
Why are campsites free when there is a cost to Council to maintain, and many of the campsites are self-contained campers who possibly make most of their purchases in Launceston?
1. Because it encourages campers to stay for a longer period of time and they are therefore likely to spend more money within the municipality.
2. And the cost of managing a payment fee for camping areas across the region is likely to outweigh any income received.
Are you collecting visitor data on where visitors are coming from and what they are spending in Dorset?
Yes, in conjunction with Tourism Northern Tasmania (TNT) and business owners, especially accommodation providers, we do have a reasonable handle on those numbers.
TNT publicly release these figures and approximate spends for all municipalities yearly across the North.
How much in total did Dorset Council have to pay the Local Government Department for the Code of Conduct case where The Mayor, Councillor Jessup and former Councillor Arnold lost?
I’m not sure off the top of my head but it’s probably in the vicinity of $3,000 - $5,000 which is the standard fee charged where a complaint is investigated by the Code of Conduct Panel.
How much would the Council have had to pay had the Mayor and Councillor Jessup not appealed?
The cost of appeals is borne by the appellant and the Crown, there is no cost to Council.
Why do Council find it necessary to rip up a usable railway line for a recreational bike trail?
Would it be too hard to reconsider your choices, so everyone gets a bite of the cherry?
There is no chance whatsoever that a tourist train could ever make it to Scottsdale. The cost of upgrading the line was calculated at close to $16 million back in 2016 and is likely to be in excess of $20 million at the current point in time.
The State Government’s compromise decision will mean both the train and trail projects will ‘get a bit of the cherry’.
Why is there not an option to recycle with the current public bins located around Scottsdale?
Waste management, including recycling, is an evolving process and we will be looking at the addition of recycling bins in public space.
Why isn't Oakdene Road being graded properly? The last grading only went from Richs Road to the Bridport Road intersection.
As someone who travels the entire length of Oakdene Road on a regular basis, I have no issue with its condition. All gravel roads in the municipally are graded on an as needs basis.
Why does Council now have a negative view of tourist rail in its municipality?
Mayor Jarvis was once for the idea of tourist trains back to Scottsdale.
That is incorrect, in fact Barry was the Mayor back in 2012/13 when Dorset Council applied for funding to build the rail trail.
Residents are interested in the break down over the last 5-10 years of which areas Council’s money comes from (rates, ground rentals, etc) compared to where it's being spent (staffing, upkeep, new building, etc).
That is a question that I couldn’t answer off the top of my head and would require a significant amount of Council resources to come up with a detailed response for you.
Despite misconceptions most areas in Dorset have more money spent in any given year on operational and capital expenditure than what is collected in rates.
Rates are not actually a fee for service.
Now Council is conducting rubbish and recycling kerb side collections, is there any chance rural properties will be offered this service?
Currently any rural property currently on a collection route can opt into the collection service.
As for creating new routes and providing a full service across the municipality that would not be cost efficient at this point in time.
When will the upgrade be happening in Victoria Street, Scottsdale and are there still plans for a public toilet?
Council will soon be considering an upgrade for Victoria Street; this will involve an initial design being put out for public comment and a subsequent decision will be made shortly after. There are plans for a public toilet and this will be part of the reconstruction.
Will the Listers Lane walking trail be maintained before the next footy club fun run? It is dangerously covered in gravel on the steep hill and needs weeding on the section next to the potato field.
We are unaware of the issue but certainly we will have a look at it and get it cleaned up.
If residents have an issue with Council infrastructure or operations, they can lodge a customer service request either online, by phone, in person or via a Councillor and that request will be investigated.
People want to know when something is going to be done with the old railway station site in Scottsdale. This area needs to be developed so it is more of a useable and not so dusty.
The Rotary Club of Scottsdale were awarded a grant some time ago to renovate the station, however this has been held up by numerous inquiries into the rail trail.
Plans are to make this area an RV parking area.
Would Council consider at least painting white centre lines on the Derby Back Road where the corners are dangerous and sharp, given so many tourists still use that road and it's unsafe?
The value of centre lines on narrow roads is dubious at best. The introduction of a centre line would require the road to be significantly widened which isn’t viable for the amount of traffic.
When will the footpath in Arthur Street Scottsdale be finished?
Currently it is cemented only to the Telstra tower. It was planned to go right along the road to the Headley Street corner.
It's scheduled to be completed in the next couple of years.
The completion of all footpaths is being undertaken in line with the current footpath plan for the municipality which is available on Council’s website.
Residents question the need for another rail trail from Scottsdale to Lilydale as they believe the current one isn’t being maintained and is overgrown.
Where do the funds come from and is there enough to keep current and future trails maintained?
Maintenance of the current rail trail is undertaken by the Rotary Club of Scottsdale with an at least once a week drive through to check on its condition.
They are responsible for all costs. The new rail trail, when built, will be funded by sponsorship arrangements through businesses on the trail.
What’s happening with the Scottsdale Pool? Some residents can't understand why Council are upgrading it to another outdoor facility when many people would like to see an indoor facility built.
The pool is being upgraded because it is leaking and past its use-by date at an approximate cost of $6 million.
The provision of an indoor facility as a replacement would add another $3-$4 million to that cost and the ongoing running costs of an indoor pool would either bankrupt the Council or require a massive increase in rates which would be unfair to the many thousands of residents who don’t use the pool.
Would Council consider increasing the Scottsdale Tip's current opening days? They are limited for business operation.
The tip is currently open five out of seven days a week including weekends, and this appears to be sufficient for the vast majority of users.
What is going on with the foreshore masterplan in Bridport?
We are currently waiting on MAST to deliver the plan.
It was originally planned to be released in December, but it has not yet come to light and I’m not sure what the holdup is.