The Planning Matters Alliance Tasmania (PMAT) an alliance of almost over 70 community groups working on planning and development issues across Tasmania, are continuing the rollout of public community meetings to discuss mooted changes to local government, including forced amalgamations and the removal of planning from local Councils. 

PMAT has already hosted six meetings around Tasmania, on Flinders and Bruny islands, Rosny Park – Clarence, Bicheno, Bothwell and Ouse, helping the community wrap their heads around the scale of possible changes to the way local government operates in Tasmania. Next week public community meetings will be held in Deloraine, Latrobe and Wynyard – see details here. 

“We are deeply concerned about the scale of potential changes to local government and all indications from community conversations held so far is that the community is too,” said Sophie Underwood, State Coordinator of PMAT. 

“The Liberal Government’s review looks like it is setting up some kind of justification for a takeover of planning and development decisions and forced mergers of councils, both actions that would likely lead to bad outcomes for communities.” 

“Local government is the closest form of Government to the people and many fear forced amalgamations will remove local representation and reduce transparency in decision making. Experience interstate has not been positive and forced mergers have delivered higher rates, job losses, asset sales and a general loss of services.” 

“Transparency, accountability and informed decision making are hardly a hallmark of the Rockliff government and the review process looks like a fait accompli, making the case for unpopular and unnecessary changes. 

“Council mergers should only be done on a voluntary basis and based on a Tasmanian Electoral Commission elector poll. Forced mergers, no matter what name is made up to describe them, are highly likely to condemn councils and their communities to poorer outcomes. 

On the 30 and 31 May PMAT hosted two public meetings in the Central Highlands regarding forced amalgamations and removing planning from local Councils. The Ouse meeting resolved to start a petition to State Parliament and the Bothwell meeting decided to call on the Central Highlands Council to convene a public meeting/brainstorming session to oppose any forced amalgamations. This meeting was held last night and was reported on ABC News TAS 7 pm news yesterday and the petition has been launched.