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?