TIME FOR MINDSET CHANGE

 

Context Link Click Here

A solution [?? in what context??] to Tasmania's housing crisis is causing angst for Kings Meadows residents who oppose a 109-lot housing development proposed for Techno Park.

Housing Tasmania plans to subdivide an undeveloped 10.7-hectare parcel of land into more than 100 residential lots, 85 per cent of which will be sold to the public under an equity affordable housing program. [Equitable & affordable in what context we might well ask??]

It will eventually apply for a subdivision permit with the City of Launceston.

Traffic congestion, too many houses, and habitat loss for the endangered Masked Owl and vulnerable Eastern Barred Bandicoots are some of the issues plaguing residents in the area. [Yes, sustainable urban ecosystems are important but focusing on two vulnerable species simply opens up a simplified binary debate when the issue is more complex and multi-dimensional ! ]

'We are not against the housing...it is just far too many.' Resident Matthew Kean said concerns were being ignored, and resident views seemed to have little to no bearing on the final decision to get housing at the site. [IF/WHEN realised this project might provide a 'home' for approx 220/230 people in a particular demographic. If a more diverse and multi-faceted demographic was considered that number could conceivably be increased]

He said he intended to oppose the developments' approval when it goes to the council, arguing that there should be fewer lots at the site. [It would be useful if a cohort of critical thinkers mounted a campaign to reimagine this development's premise based as it is on 'ownable lots' and thus open to different and more expansive mindsets!]

One of his major concerns was a drop in housing values in the surrounding neighbourhood. [Here we are endorsing ownable lots over other tenure options for home making]

"We are not against the housing. We just don't want 109 lots in there. It is just far too many. It should be halved, if anything," Mr Kean said. [The issue at hand here is not to do with 'housing' people rather it could/should be to do with 'homing' people and how best to achieve that.]

"Instead of just tearing up all the paddocks and putting housing in, there should be areas kept for the wildlife. The government wants to put in as many houses as they can, but there should be a few green spaces," he said. [Conceivably, more homing options could be achieved in a more sustainable cultural landscape IF the effort to do so was invested in a mind shifting approach towards that end]

"You have to keep both parties happy." [Actually, a realistic proposition]

Too many houses within 10.3 hectares?

A traffic report for the proposal shows 109-lots, including:

eight lots of 350 - 450 square metres,

62 lots of 450 - 550 square metres,

22 lots of 550 to 650 square metres; and

17 lots of 650 to 1000 square metres.

[.25 acres = 1112 square metres]

Mr Kean said he believed current average lot sizes in the area sat between 600 square metres and 1000 square metres. [Here we are endorsing ownable lots over other tenure options for home making. We do not own places, we occupy them and belong to them and in them]

"Instead of having all these little houses you could have a slightly bigger block and house, and then you could encourage families to go move in there." [Again ... here we are endorsing ownable housing as an investment rather than aspiring to make homes in communities that collaborate to make places safe and secure. The 'investment model' is prone to destroy the things in places that makes being in them, belonging to and in them less valuable ]

 

Traffic issue

Residents are worried about increased traffic congestion in the area, along Woolven Street, Techno Park Drive and Quarantine Road.

Homes Tasmania argued that any impact on the surrounding road network would not be significant, and referenced its independent traffic assessment. [Bureaucratic self serving assessments that assume some lowest common denominator 'greater good' all too often ignore alternatives to the status quo. Collaborative communities can determine bottom up from within and organically. That is rather than via top down disconnected one-size-fits-all determinations made well away from the lived experience.]

 

Wildlife issue

Residents note the natural values of the site, including gum trees, ovata tress and large hollow bearing trees that provide potential habitat for masked owls and swift parrots.

Homes Tasmania inspected the site and said the hollows were not being used by owls. [Here there may not be owls now albeit if they are not there will be other communities of fauna present and that will be depending upon access to the environmental resources available.]

LETTER August 16 2024 Techno Park wildlife

I NOTICED the article in The Examiner (August 12) about the proposed development in the Techno Park area saying about the traffic concerns and a few other concerns but one of the major concerns is the wildlife in the area which the government have done everything they can to hide the fact there is endangered and threatened species live on the site! I have provided pictures and videos as proof the government still chose to ignore and stated in their report that there was no significant wildlife in the area, which is a complete lie and, yet again, the government being sly and deceptive as they've been from the very start of this development! As for Pitt and Sherry's traffic report, what an absolute joke that was! They were very cunning in the times they chose to count cars doing it out of the peak times and only for one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon, which is not possible to get a correct indication of the traffic in such a short time period! This makes me think this whole report has not been properly done or done in a way to give the government what it needs to get this development rushed through!

Matt Kean, Kings Meadows

THIS IS REMARKABLE

 

COMMUNAL LIVING ELSWHERE

 

http://www.ryuenishizawa.com/

https://www.naomimilgromfoundation.org/stories/ryue-nishizawa-/-sanaa-the-artificial-belongs-to-nature

LOOKING AWAY FROM THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR

 ZENzing Proverb: The proper way is that straight and narrow pathway that leads you directly to the gateway to that place where mediocrity prevails. Then you get to choose!

And with a few moments like that, with doubt from here and there, and within ourselves we were just striving for excellence. We had somehow understood and felt that all the musicians who would come to the House later on, that all the singers, the big artists, were striving for excellence in their life and we thought a house for them, there’s no limit to the excellence it should have because it should match their strive for perfection

Jørn Utzon

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

“If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom.” .... Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

RETHINKING HOUSING

 

Car parks - particularly empty ones - are a waste of space.

Professor of human geography and planning at UTAS Jason Byrne said that made them prime candidates for affordable housing, as a recent City of Launceston council motion sought to explore.

"You're taking land is dedicated to parking, which unless it's got cars on it is a wasted asset in the city, and you're filling a real need in the market for affordable housing," Dr Byrne said. [!!!]

This solved two issues with Launceston's housing supply - land availability in a city where developable blocks were in short supply and opened up the market to first-home buyers.

Dr Byrne said decades of treating housing as a commodity meant property investors, banks, developers, and governments benefitted at the detriment of first-home buyers and renters. [!!!]

Making council-owned land, be it a car park or something else, available to developers on the condition they build affordable housing on it meant Launceston could buck a national trend.

"In other Australian cities, inner city housing oftentimes doesn't sell to people in the new home market or affordable housing market. It's often premium prestige apartments in the heart of the city," Dr Byrne said.

ECOdesign Architects principal architect Nigel Bell on the house of the future.

Don't fear the 15-minute city

Building affordable housing - that is homes sold at below-market rates - within Launceston's CBD would be a "really good example" of what Dr Byrne described as urban consolidation, which he said was sorely needed in Tasmania.

This is commonly known for creating "15-minute cities".

Developing housing in the urban core rather than the fringes ensured vital services were within a reasonable distance of where people lived, without them needing to commute by car.

"That's the idea of the 15-minute city, being able to get access to fresh fruit and vegetables, healthcare, childcare, aged care facilities, all within 15 minutes of where you live, either by walking or cycling," Dr Byrne said.

This had economic benefits, as maintaining the infrastructure to service sprawling suburban developments was paid for by taxpayers even if developers initially paid for it.[!!!]

There were also environmental benefits like reducing people's reliance on cars - cutting emissions and reducing traffic.[!!!]

Dr Byrne said high-density was not necessarily for everyone, for instance young families might benefit from lower-density housing.[!!!]

"There's all sorts of questions about whether that housing is well-suited for raising a family. Whether you can raise kids effectively in a three-bedroom apartment with a balcony is a big question," he said.

This, he said, came down to the provision of services like schools and recreation spaces nearby.

No more lonely hearts

Tasmanians are among the loneliest people in Australia.

Thirty-seven per cent of the Apple Isle's residents reported feeling lonely in 2023 - more than in any other state or territory besides the Australian Capital Territory.

This is becoming an acute health issue, with research suggesting loneliness is as bad as smoking.

Urban consolidation could ease that.

"You get a more convivial, lively, active city, and you get those incidental moments of social interaction in what we call third spaces," Dr Byrne said.

Third spaces - cafes, libraries and the like - would flourish with increased foot traffic, leading to economic and social sustainability.

Dr Byrne said this was of particular benefit to Launceston, with its many eateries and bars but a struggling night-time economy.

"[Launceston] would be an increasingly active and vibrant city after hours, with a very rich social life in the night-time, but also on the weekends. That's a huge win," he said.

Proof will be in the pudding

Dr Byrne said the benefits of the proposal were easy to tout, but like all things the proof was in the pudding.

Thought had to be given to design - not just architecture but wider, city-level planning.

"Rather than a cookie cutter approach, where we don't really consider design outcomes we should be focusing on urban design so making sure the spaces in between the buildings are vibrant and enjoyable," Dr Byrne said.

Recreation spaces inside dwellings or balconies, adequate sunlight in winter and noise reduction were all key considerations.

Access to services like public transport, education and childcare, nearby parks and other green spaces, and the capacities of water, sewer and electrical infrastructure were others.

Catering for an aging population and young families, who Dr Byrne said had mobility issues for different reasons, would also be a challenge.

There was also the matter of planning for a changing climate - not only was the planet warming but increasing density in cities meant higher temperatures.

Part of this would be solved with choosing an appropriate location.

For instance the city's parks should be ruled out as candidate sites to preserve the urban plant canopy.

"When we increase density in the cities, oftentimes that means there's tree clearing and there's less attention to parks and green spaces, and we lose tree canopy," Dr Byrne said.

"Luckily, the City of Launceston has an excellent [???] urban greening strategy."

THE ULMpod

Background Note Click Here

LAUNCESTON'S UGLYNESS

Yes, that Freeda-shop in Prince’s Square is/was a bit ugly, but the truly ugly thing is that it is needed and just where it landed first.

The next ugly truth is that Freeda when it got tarted up by Council in Civic Square it got even uglier with its need being bureaucratically sanitised, blanded and downplayed......... The ugliness is compounded when punitive inclined bureaucrats trot out their arsenal of by-laws and when they wear their moral indignation like a halo....... Freeda isn’t really that ugly, or all that unsafe. It’s need shouldn’t just sadden us we all need to wise up big time........ If Freeda-shops were to pop up all over and with all our surveillance cameras, parking inspectors, civic gardeners and others keeping an eye on them and those who need them, all working together, that wouldn’t be ugly....... Freeda-shops’ customers need stuffs because they do not have stuff. Bureaucrats need stuff to punish as they have a vested interest in the chaos in within which they exist.

IS PLANNING A DOING WORD OR SOMETHING YOU GET AFTER A PLANNER HAS DONE HER/HIS THING!?

QUESTION SUBMITTED TO THE MAYOR & ALL COUNCILLORS

The following questions, as submitted to Council on 14 August 2024 by Ray Norman have been answered by Nathan Williams (Chief Financial Officer) and Chelsea van Riet (General Manager Community and Place Network).

CONTEXT

Given the Councils’ commitment to facilitate the development of a housing estate at St Lenard’s bounded by the North Esk to its south and almost to its west that is being marketed as the area that will provide housing sites for the city for decades it is time to engage with the city’s citizens in a meaningful way.

 

Albeit without lodging a tender for their consultancy, Mesh Planning are the Council officer’s preferred consultants but in Council’s deliberations there was no evidence of there being a community consultation process to determine community aspirations and expectations relative to the ‘placemaking’. This is concerning as is the lack of public exposure for the consultant’s brief. 

 

These two elements would/should be key references that ensure council, and by extension the city’s ratepayers and citizens are receiving value for a significant expenditure. Given the housing crisis communities in Tasmania and elsewhere the expenditure of public monies on planning for housing developments without this class of community engagement is unsustainable.

 

THE QUESTION

 Will Council publish the publish the brief being provided to Mesh Planning prior to Council’s next meeting and ensure that within it there is provision for expenditure to conduct an independent arm’s length consultation process that enables any citizen who wishes is enabled to do so? 

Response:

Council is currently scoping the development of a housing strategy as one of its

Annual Plan Actions for 2024/2025. As part of this strategy we will bring an open mind

to how we can do things differently or work with stakeholders and the community to

address the issue of constrained housing supply in Launceston. Our population is

going to grow and to house existing and new residents we need to be delivering

approximately 320 homes per year, but our long term average hovers around 200

homes per year. There are many challenges and opportunities that City of Launceston will explore over the coming year and there will be an opportunity for community feedback on that strategy.

RESPONSE TO THE  RESPONSE

There is a number of issues that this response draws attention to:

•  Firstly, the question was put to "the Mayor and All Councillors" but has been responded to by Lorraine Wyatt (Council and Committees Officer) with the approval of Sam Johnson OAM (Chief Executive Officer) without any evidence that the Mayor and/or Councillors were consulted in the providing of the response; and

•  Secondly, the question as put has not been answered which indicates that management lacks confidence in the ratepayers' representatives competence to provide cogent and relevant answers to questions relevant to strategic matters; and

•  Thirdly, the response canvasses placatory rhetoric and irrelevant opinion apparently harboured by management without direct reference to the question nor any indication that a delegated authority has been granted to them so to do; and

•  Fourthly, the question is being virtually answered as a NO on behalf of the 'governing body', the Councillors, which insults the Councillors' deemed lack of capacity and by extension the people they represent.

NOTE: It has been sad, and often, that miscarriages of justice have occurred because of the absence of proper representation. If Council's management claims to be representing the City of Launceston's constituency in this or any other instance, the officers who assert that it is so, now need provide evidence of their position within the framework of the Local Govt Act.  

QUESTIONS ARISING

Is there a draft Master Plan or Project Plan in any form that has been developed in-house that is relevant to the proposed St Leonards Housing Estate?

Have Councillors discussed at any level, or detail, the:

• The overarching vision for the proposed St Leonards Housing Estate?

• The key objectives and milestones to be reached in realising that vision?

• The rationales for developing the St Leonards Housing Estate now?

 

Given the projected cost to engage Mesh, has a brief been prepared with any level of detail along with KPIs against which Mesh’s performance and outcomes can be measured and assessed?

 

If a brief has indeed been drafted, and given that the cost to develop a plan has been estimated to cost $514,450, who drafted it, when, and under what circumstance?

 

In this ‘planning process’, given that it is reported that it costs $1Million PA to keep a child in care who will be speaking for and with children and to what end?

 

Given that Mesh is not in competition with any other professional service provider, and that the citizens of Launceston and those wishing to be citizens are and will be the clients in the placemaking, and there is no indication that Mesh will be, or will be required to, proactively engage with citizens/clients why should Council’s constituency be comfortable with what has been decided on their behalf?

INDEED why should the City of Launceston’s constituents be at all comfortable with what has transpired given that all the signals are present for them being sidelined yet again!?

EXAMINER: Council narrowly approves $500k contract after claims of 'malfeasance'

Council narrowly approves $500k contract after claims of 'malfeasance' 

By Joe Colbrook August 11 2024

BACK LINK

A $500,000 contract to produce a development master plan for St Leonards was narrowly approved by City of Launceston councillors. Picture by Phillip Biggs ................. The council has waived the regular tender process and awarded a $500,000 contract to a mainland consulting firm for its St Leonards master plan, citing time pressures. ................. Melbourne-based Mesh Livable Communities will be paid $514,450 to develop the St Leonards Structure Plan and Infrastructure Funding Framework after a fierce debate and narrow vote by City of Launceston councillors. [AND THERE BEING NO OVERT INDICATION OF COMMUNITY CONSULTATION] ................. Under law, any council-related contract valued at more than $250,000 must be put out to tender. ................. Skipping this process requires approval from an absolute majority of councillors - more than half of all councillors, not just those present at the meeting. .................Council officers said a 12-month deadline to use a $327,000 federal government grant was appropriate justification for skipping a weeks-long open tender process. ................. The council officers said they approached Mesh as the preferred consultant, based on the firm's track record. ................. Councillor Alex Britton said he would support the proposal as it would allow better development through prime housing land, despite his misgivings over the process.[WHY? HOW?] ................. "I think it's a little bit weird we got to here without going through a regular tender process," Cr Britton said. ................. "That being said, I'm not going to stand here and get in the way of the development of St Leonards." ................. Most councillors shared that view, and deputy mayor Hugh McKenzie said there were "327,000 reasons why" councillors should support the proposal. ................. Councillor Joe Pentridge held a different view, and said none of it would "pass the pub test". ................. "This community elected 12 aldermen, not to support the administration, but to support their interests," he said. ................. "None of this here will pass the pub test. None of this is transparent. There's just a whole heap of written stuff which I don't believe fore one minute." ................. This prompted a rebuttal by councillor Andrea Dawkins. ................. "I'm really hoping that I can maintain a professional air in this debate, because I am quite upset by what I just heard," Cr Dawkins said. ................. "The idea that there's some malfeasance here because we need to work to a timescale is unbelievable. ................. "The idea that somehow, who I represent and who I am as a councillor, is beholden to another councillor's perception is actually beyond me." ................. Concerns were also raised about the consulting firm's track record as it was previously engaged to develop a similar document for South Prospect. [LINK]................. This did not result in a similar strategy document, as highlighted by developer Tim Shaw, however council chief executive officer Sam Johnson said the firm held up its end of the bargain. [AND WHAT WAS THAT?]................. "The previous work undertaken by Mesh to delivered exactly what the council asked for," Mr Johnson said. ................. "It's important that members recognise that the council asked for something specific, Mesh delivered what the council wanted. ................. "That doesn't mean that they delivered what maybe external stakeholders were looking for or hoping for, but they delivered exactly what the council asked for five years ago." [THIS NEEDS URGENT EXPLANATION]................. A motion to pause discussions was put forward by councillor Susie Cai, who said it was better to take a considered approach rather than rush headlong into big decisions based on her own personal experiences. ................. This was voted down. ................. A motion to award the tender to Mesh received the backing of seven councillors. ................. Three councillors - Danny Gibson, Andrew Palmer and Tim Walker - were absent. Councillors Cai and Pentridge voted against the motion.

QUESTIONS

 

Given the Councils’ commitment to facilitate the development of a housing estate at St Lenard’s bounded by the North Esk to its south and almost to its west that is being marketed as the area that will provide housing sites for the city for decades it is time to engage with the city’s citizens in a meaningful way.

 

Albeit without lodging a tender for their consultancy, Mesh Planning are the Council officer’s preferred consultants but in Council’s deliberations there was no evidence of there being a community consultation process to determine community aspirations and expectations relative to the ‘placemaking’. This is concerning as is the lack of public exposure for the consultant’s brief. 

 

These two elements would/should be key references that ensure council, and by extension the city’s ratepayers and citizens are receiving value for a significant expenditure. Given the housing crisis communities in Tasmania and elsewhere the expenditure of public monies on planning for housing developments without this class of community engagement is unsustainable.

 

THE QUESTION

 

Will Council publish the publish the brief being provided to Mesh Planning prior to Council’s next meeting and ensure that within it there is provision for expenditure to conduct an independent arm’s length consultation process that enables any citizen who wishes is enabled to do so?

prefabCONCRETE Homes

 

 VIDEO LINK ... Mercury Link

Tasmania set to build 1,700 homes annually with precast concrete panel plant

David Marriner plans to address Tasmania’s housing crisis by repurposing a factory to manufacture precast concrete panels for 1,700 homes annually.

David Marriner: Set to manufacture precast concrete panels in Tasmania for 1,700 homes annually.

Prominent property developer and theatre owner David Marriner, based in Melbourne, has grand designs to transform the Tasmanian housing sector with his plan to manufacture up to 1,700 precast concrete homes annually. Marriner’s proposal involves establishing Australia’s first automated, precast concrete manufacturing facility. He estimates that these homes will be up to 20 per cent cheaper to construct compared to traditional methods.

As first reported in The Mercury newspaper, the developer currently owns a factory in Brighton, which is producing concrete segments for Tasmania’s Bridgewater Bridge. Upon the bridge’s completion, Marriner intends to convert this factory into a facility capable of producing precast panels for housing. Potential sites for these new homes have been identified, including Dowsing Point, Brighton, New Norfolk, Evandale, Burnie, and Westbury.

Bridgewater Bridge: When all precast elements are complete, Marriner’s factory will begin manufacturing precast panels for housing.

Marriner sees this initiative as a clear shift in Australian housing construction, marking the first move towards industrialising the production of homes. The project will involve world-class architects, with a prototype set to be showcased at Bushy Park later this year. Marriner claims that the construction method will not only reduce costs but also offer up to 35 per cent savings in energy efficiency compared to traditional construction.

The architectural team includes Professor Michael Obrist from the Technical University of Vienna and prominent Australian architect John Wardle, known for his work with the University of Tasmania. Marriner highlights Austria’s long standing leadership in sustainable social residential living as an inspiration for this project.

In July, Marriner will unveil Derwent 7010, a masterplan which encompasses plans for 2,600 houses and sporting facilities at Glenorchy, using land at Dowsing Point owned by the Defence Department.

Marriner emphasised the environmental benefits of the project, noting that the new concrete panels are significantly lighter and stronger than traditional panels, capable of supporting structures up to eight storeys high. The conversion of the existing factory into a housing factory will require an investment of approximately $30 million and will be crucial in retaining jobs once the Bridgewater Bridge project is completed.

Marriner is not seeking government funding for the factory conversion but is looking for government support in terms of housing orders to ensure a stable financial base for the factory. He has been in discussions with the Derwent Valley Council regarding the planning approvals needed to erect the prototype at Bushy Park.

YEP! ... WATCH THIS SPACE!!

The best self promotion is your next book. And the book after that and after that. .... Bella Andre

Hugh McKenzie boasts an impressive resume. .................... Elected to the City of Launceston council in 2011, he is the joint longest-serving member of the council elected in October 2022. .................... He's sat on numerous boards and worked for consulting firm KPMG, however the deputy mayor said that didn't mean he knew everything. .................... "I learn every day," Cr Mckenzie said. .................... "One of my big things is to sit down every day and think about what I did yesterday, and so what could I do better tomorrow. .................... "That's not about perfectionism. That's just about reality, knowing that there's always something to learn. If you're not learning then you're too narrow in the way that you are thinking." .................... No 'I' in team ... Much like the mayor, Cr McKenzie said it was a slower start to the council term compared to others, with several changes in high profile roles and seven first-term councillors sitting at the table. .................... "We're just starting to hit our cadence 18 months into our term," the deputy mayor said. .................... Given his background in consulting, he was aware he had a certain reputation and perspective on the issues that came before the council, which at times clashed with his colleagues. .................... "There's no doubt that I am fairly ordered in the way I think about things," Cr McKenzie said. .................... "I've been trained in governance and all sorts of different things through my journey. Everybody says 'you're a finance man, you're gonna look at numbers'. .................... "I say to people now that I wouldn't employ me on my financial skills, I'd say that's just a bonus." .................... Instead, the deputy mayor said his best asset was his people skills. .................... These came in handy working with council officers to clarify details on issues before it came time to vote on them. .................... That wasn't to say he always went with the grain, or shied away from taking unpopular decisions - like approving the TasTAFE redevelopment against planning officers' advice or supporting charging rates to retirement villages. .................... However, Cr McKenzie said getting the best outcome for the city was bigger than one man alone. .................... "It's not about who did this or who did that. We did this. We. That is what I'm all about, it's all about 'us'," he said .................... "If I've helped trigger something, or helped get us to where we've got to on that journey, then I'm really thrilled about that..................... "It doesn't have to be about what I did because, ultimately, what I did will be a very small list but what we did should be a very big list." .................... Cr McKenzie said having - at times robust - conversations with his colleagues meant a better outcome was reached. .................... "The only way you're going to get something done is you need another six other people to have worked with you," he said. .................... "My view is it's better to have the 12 working together for an outcome - that doesn't mean we have to agree on everything. .................... "But if we're having a good hearty conversation, and it's 10-2 or whatever it might be, then I'm comfortable with that." .................... Council reporter Joe Colbrook and deputy mayor Hugh McKenzie chat over a coffee at Inside Cafe. Picture by Phillip Biggs.................... Pragmatism does not rule out passion.................... Cr McKenzie said he wasn't purely pragmatic, there were some matters he was genuinely passionate about. .................... This occasionally gave rise to frustrations, like when the sale of the Birchalls building fell over - something Cr McKenzie said was out of the council's hands - or slow-going on changes to the city's transport infrastructure to allow alternative forms of transport. .................... There were also renovations to the Albert Hall, which required some patience. "You look at the Albert Hall, it is frustrating sitting here three years on and that place has been closed for so long," Cr McKenzie said. .................... "As much as people say you can't keep blaming COVID, we had a budget for the work then COVID came and escalated the budget. We had to rethink the whole thing. .................... "It's challenging but it'll be great when we get it done. The Princess Theatre, again, is another passion of mine." .................... At the end of the day, or at least at the end of his time as an elected representative, the deputy mayor said he felt as though the decisions he made as a councillor were for the betterment of the city. .................... This, he said, came down to a vested interest in seeing Launceston do well. .................... Cr McKenzie raised his family here, was a self-professed lover of local footy and theatre, and a strong supporter of its multicultural community - all things that made the town great. .................... "I've lived here since I was about 10," Cr McKenzie said. .................... "I was in boarding school from 10 to 17. I've worked here. I've raised a family here. I've educated my kids here. .................... "This town has been really really good to me, this was my opportunity to give back. It's not just my town though, it's the community's too."