NB: The questions below were submitted as "QUESTIONS ON NOTICE TO THE MAYOR AND ALL COUNCILLORS FOR TO COUNCIL'S NEXT MEETING" and have been responded to by 'management' without reference to the Councillors. The questions refer to the COUNCILLORS' function and role as POLICY & STRATEGIC DECISION MAKERS
City of Launceston Council Meeting Agenda Thursday 7 September 2023 Page 13
8. PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
Local Government (Meeting Procedures) Regulations 2015 - Regulation 31 8.1. Public Questions on Notice
Local Government (Meeting Procedures) Regulations 2015 - Regulation 31(1) 8.
8.1.1. Public Questions on Notice - Ray Norman -House Design, City Architect and Landfill Facility FILE NO: SF6381AUTHOR: Anthea Rooney (Council and Committees Officer)CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER: Michael Stretton
QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES:
The following questions, submitted to the Council in writing on 30 August 2023 by Ray Norman, have been answered by Richard Jamieson (Manager City Development) and
Shane Eberhardt (General Manager Infrastructure and Assets Network).
Questions:
1. Will [Council] take a leadership role in its planning authority role by initiating a competition that encourages architects and building designers to submit model designs and/or for a more diverse cohort of homemakers and that: is a competition juried and transparently, by a Citizen's jury or like Committee; is open to contributors from anywhere in Australia; is one that is done collaboratively with adjoining Councils; and is directed towards engaging with [the] Council’s constituency towards achieving more sustainable and more amenable urban landscapes?
Response:
The Council, acting in its role as a Planning Authority, has no plans to initiate a
competition as proposed. It is noted that there are several competitions in Tasmania
with categories for various types of residential constructions including competitions run by the Institute of Architects and the Master Builders Association.
2. Will Council now reconsider its role in its planning authority role by appointing a certified practicing City Architect who can: operate at arm’s length from [the] Council’s management structure; is open to receiving from and providing advice to the City’s developers - private and corporate; is one who works collaboratively with [the] Council’s management; and is directed towards engaging with [the] Council’s constituency towards achieving more sustainable and more amenable urban landscapes and cultural landscapes?
City of Launceston Council Meeting Agenda Thursday 7 September 2023 Page 14
Response:
In the same way municipalities were required to appoint a City Engineer, a building
surveyor and a building inspector, the 1962 Local Government Act required each
municipality in Tasmania to appoint a City Architect to perform a range of statutory
functions. Since 1962 the legislative requirements of Local Government have grown considerably and a far greater skill set is required to undertake the Council's statutory duties. Currently, the City of Launceston employs Architects, Town Planners, Building
Surveyors, Environmental Health Officers, Traffic Engineers, Hydraulic Engineers,
Environmental Scientists, a Place Making team and many other specialists. These
Officers work within the scope of the legislation and collaboratively with the
development community, to achieve the best possible community outcomes.
For this reason, the role of a City Architect, as proposed, is considered redundant in a
modern Local Government structure and it is not proposed to be reinstated at this
time.
3. Will [the] Council please explain how and why ratepayers’ fund have been expended on a landfill facility that does not meet Tasmanian EPA standards?
Response:
The City of Launceston operates the Launceston Waste Centre (LWC), a Category B
landfill, as prescribed by the Landfill Sustainability Guide, 2004 which can be found at
https://epa.tas.gov.au/Documents/Landfill_Sustainability_Guide_2004.pdf .
This facility is considered a Level 2 activity and is regulated by the EPA through an
Environmental Protection Notice. The LWC has been designed to accept putrescrible
in accordance with the EPA's EPN and best practice. The material in question, which is classified as controlled waste, as defined by the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994, is typically material that is not permitted to be disposed of with putrescrible waste. It requires a specifically constructed cell of which the Council understands the waste facility at Copping is theonly such cell in the State. Given the location of the LWC in relation to the municipality's urban area and the inherant risk of accepting such controlled wastes, it is not a waste stream that would be consistent with the objectives of the LWC.
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