THE INCUMBENCY ISSUE SEEMS AS IF IT IS AN ISSUE?

 

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City of Launceston councillor Tim Walker will run for mayor and council in the upcoming council elections, saying he is "keen and ready to take the top job".

Cr Walker, who has been a councillor since 2018, said he intended to run for mayor in order to represent the community "without prejudice, so that people can feel confident they have a voice". ........................ He joins fellow councillors Cr Danny Gibson and Cr Alan Harris, and Jaqcui Lambie Network Bass candidate Bob Salt as candidates, after long-serving mayor Albert van Zetten announced his intention not to run last month. ........................ The former ABC journalist and former Tasmanian Greens advisor said the establishment of the homelessness advisory committee to address Launceston's housing availability was among his key achievements, but said the housing crisis remained the most pressing issue for the city. ........................ Cr Walker said investment in "significant parcels of land" in Launceston's north and eastern suburbs was needed to address housing availability. ........................ However, the councillor said a one-size fits all approach for housing would not fix the issue, and, if elected mayor, would advocate for different models and types of housing "that respond to the diverse needs of the community". ........................ "If we want to grow and be a prosperous city, we have to be able to accommodate people who want to come here to work, and to address the crisis we have to be creative," Cr Walker said. ........................ The councillor said the region's agricultural and tourism sector presented many opportunities, but wanted more action in creating sustainable ways of retaining the city's workforce. ........................ Cr Walker also flagged CBD accessibility as an issue, and said as mayor he would push for more accessible and affordable options, as well as better public transport. ........................ As a strong advocate for social causes and decolonising place names, he said he wanted to help create a more "progressive Launceston". ........................ "We need to be competitive economically, but we also need to be progressive socially, and that means embracing the many different aspects of our community," Cr Walker said. ........................ "It means providing opportunities and equity for people, and bringing that forward in a way that involves everyone". ........................ He has been a vocal proponent for renaming the controversial Batman Bridge, which he said was named after a "colonial murderer". ........................ He said he acknowledged more could be done for the "mismanaged" health of the kanamaluka/Tamar River, and supported the creation of a greater tidal prism to reintroduce wetlands.