Why stop with removing the red lion passant from the Tasmanian flag (Flag Your Ideas, SunTas 6.12.2009)? It won’t truly be a new flag until the Butcher’s Apron in the top left corner is consigned to the dustbin of history.
Let’s have a state flag that is forward looking, unique and truly represents the Tasmania of today, not an irrelevant carbon copy from an age of cowtowing to a now expired empire.
Scott Plimpton
West Hobart
The “Admiral”, which was relaunched in Huonville last week after an extensive restoration under the guidance of Bern Cuthbertson and the “Admirality” arrived back in her home port last Saturday.
Aboard for the final leg of the trip was the Governor of Tasmania, Peter Underwood. The vessel was greeted at Watermans’ Dock by the Lord Mayor, his deputy and a throng of family, friends and assorted others. It turned out that last Saturday was exactly 144 (tbc) years to the day that “Admiral” was first used as a Governor’s barge.
In his speech, Governor Underwood indicated that he would be happy for “Admiral” to serve as Governor’s barge once more, at least for the time he was the occupant of Government House.
The Governor also mentioned the fact that a permanent home needed to be found for “Admiral” somewhere on the waterfront. Currently there seems to be a bit of a battle raging between TasPorts, The State Government and the HCC as to where the vessel will eventually wind up.
Here’s hoping the various authorities come to their senses and the “Admiral” finds a home deserving of its long and direct link to the early years of Hobart’s European history.
Well, the concept is finally right!
UPDATE 11 DECEMBER: Squires Salamanca Pub opened for business yesterday, under ownership of Paul and Tony Jubb, of the Customs House Hotel and other Sullivan's Cove drinking establishments. As yet there is no brewery on premises. Premier David Bartlett was spotted with a sly ten ounce there on the pub's second day of trade.
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Corey Peterson
West Hobart, Tasmania 7000
Dear Mr. Plimpton:
Thank you for the opportunity to express my thoughts on access to the Battery Point foreshore.
As a cyclist who both commutes and runs errands on my two-wheeled, self-propelled transport, I can speak from experience of the need for safe and easy to use cycling options in Hobart and surrounding municipal areas. While the majority of my cycling is through the CBD to the Eastern Shore, I do make use of the Inter-city Cycleway often so would see using the new southern access route as well, especially once it becomes safer to do so.
In principle I am in favour of a Battery Point foreshore pathway/boardwalk or whatever term best fits that would safely cater, as you note, to “the needs of both able bodied and disabled pedestrians, as well as providing a safe, off road route for cyclists.”
Predictions of a 0.8m sea level rise by 2100 from the International Panel on Climate Change as the most likely scenario at this time given existing and predicted emission levels over the next few years will necessarily impact the design of any structure. This is also the value provided by the Local Government Association of Tasmania to member councils and their engineering departments and risk managers. As this value has continued to rise over the course of the previous decade as models have become more accurate and data more reliable, it will be prudent to keep in mind that any structure might well have to be built for a value greater than this. In fact, it is anticipated that sea level rise of two meters will be closer to the truth this century.
Given this information, I would like to see what proposed designs are put forward from engineers and planners to provide the intended use while meeting the challenges of significantly higher sea levels and minimising impacts on the coastal environment itself before I would be prepared to commit to a particular solution and I do not think the solution will be “simple” in some respects.
One further item I would like to note is that any “pathway” around the Battery Point foreshore coming off of Marieville Esplanade through to Castray Esplanade should not preclude adding cycling enhancements through the Sandy Bay commercial precinct or at least access points from the routing currently proposed. The commercial area is a destination for cyclists as much as the CBD or the Long Beach area and we need to encourage cyclists into this area as well; any additional patronage is good for the businesses and it is essential that we keep this area vibrant.
Finally, the realities of the challenges from climate change and peak oil will require additional commitment to alternative transport options (not to mention the positive health effects) and I commend Hobart City Council’s efforts in this regard, but see that we can progress the plans further over time.
Regards,
Corey Peterson
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Corey Peterson
Sustainability and Resilience Promoter
Hi Scott,
Thanks for your question, and I appreciate your making the effort to have this issue discussed.
Sadly local government despite its frequent impact on our daily lives gets little attention in our news media. Having said that I believe there has been considerable interest in this particular issue within the Hobart community.
Like my fellow Greens candidate Corey Peterson, I fully support the notion of a walkway around the Battery Point foreshore that caters for cyclists, able-bodied and disabled pedestrians.
I also note that cost and practicalities rarely fail to intervene in such plans, and that if elected as an alderman I would have to consider these against other needs. Hobart City Council is not a bottomless pit of money and the construction of the walkway/cycleway may require many more years of waiting before it is completed, assuming the council approves it. Other sources of funding may be possible, however these are yet to be explored.
Unsurprisingly, being a Green candidate, I am also concerned about climate change. Any walkway will have to take into account likely sea-level rise. To not do so would be foolish and wasteful.
I also believe that it is important to note the concerns of all interested members of the community. Aspects of such a proposal as this have the potential to sharply divide a community, and I believe it is vital that the public is fully consulted with and their concerns heard, before any decisions are made.
Finally, I don’t believe the construction of a cycleway around the Battery Point foreshore should preclude the inclusion of a bicycle lane along Sandy Bay road. Hobart is a very car-dependent city and we need more public transport options throughout, including more bicycle-lanes, but also more pedestrian friendly areas. There are many more options, some much more expensive of course, such as light rail, but at the very least I would like to see bike-racks on buses, to allow for those cyclists who aren’t so enthusiastic about going up hills.
Warm regards,
Toby Rowallan
Greens candidate for Hobart City Council
Hi Scott,
Unfortunately I’ve been rather busy with duties and haven’t been able to get to your survey on this one until now, knowing it was going to take some time to explain the matter.
The walkway issue has certainly been on the agenda since about 1925 I believe, so it is not only a few decades, but about 80 or so years! There are many issues in this one.
The immediate governing factor here I believe is what the Government is willing to accept. A firm commitment is needed as to what they are willing to approve for development on Crown land before Council is in a position to develop anything as such.
The matter is presently before the Council and has been so for some time, as you rightly point out. The processes that Council has had to go through to secure components of the two blocks that have prevented full access to the foreshore have been very time-consuming and necessary, in order that due process is followed. To debate the intricacies of such processes at this stage is not that relevant as it is in the past, nor could I do it full justice given the confidential nature of private property acquisitions in any event.
Council officers are however drawing up concept plans I believe to assist the debate on the matter (I will check tomorrow on this one).
Without committing to a final position at this stage I believe a low impact “scramble track” that requires grooming of the rocky foreshore to improve pedestrian safety and access has merit. The reasons for my current position are as follows:
1. As it is a matter that is presently before the Council, it needs to be emphasised that elected members are prevented from going into a debate on such matters with there mind made up. It shows bias and such behaviour has been taken to court by aggrieved parties before in other municipal areas, so we must be careful as to what is expressed, given that the matter has not been concluded (of course if a definite position is expressed, the elected member could simply vacate the council chamber and not vote so as to avoid the obvious conflict of interest, but that would seem to nullify their reason for being elected to Council on such a matter in the first place).
2. Regardless of what people may want, as there is Crown Land involved with what ever configuration is chosen, the Crown must give its permission for development to occur. After writing to Minister Llewellyn on this issue, Council has since received a response basically stating that a low impact walkway is acceptable, as you are aware I believe, but he has also stated that it would need to be acceptable to the local residents for the Government to approve of Crown land being used in this way.
3. Cost, sea level rise due to climate change, and also natural, built and cultural heritage issues all come into play here. To construct anything at all, apart from a groomed foreshore track, is likely to result in something that needs to comply with Disability Discrimination Act requirements. This could result in a walkway that could resemble a small highway almost, given that it would need to be something in the order of metres wide to handle two passing wheel chairs, high enough to be above the highest tide with railings to stop people from falling into the water, possibly lit from above due to salt water issues, and possibly wide enough to accept an emergency vehicle should such access be required, given the significant length of the walkway. Then there is also the issue of heritage to be considered and its location on the natural headland of what is a significant heritage precinct. I believe all of these things may need to be considered against the Australian Building code for such structures.
I may indeed be wrong about the issues listed above, but whoever is elected to Council this month will need to wait for the officers qualified advice (as required under the Local Government Act) and possible public consultation on the final design, if any, before final decisions are made.
I hope this clarifies the matter for you.
Cheers,
Rob Valentine
Hi Scott
I write to reply to your request for my position on construction of a walkway around the foreshore at Battery Point.
I am not opposed to the concept of a low impact scramble track around the Battery Point foreshore but I think that there would be much higher benefits for many more Hobart ratepayers from development of a wide range of recreation areas on the Domain hill. And so that would be my priority if elected.
I think that there needs to be much more assessment by Councillors about the decisions they take using ratepayer funds.
In broad terms I think that there are many examples of Hobart City Council spending much more money than is required on pet projects of councillors.
For example, I mention the white elephant that is the construction of so called Mawson Place, the fiasco that was the restoration of trams and the laying of tram tracks and the massive upgrades of the foreshore walkway recently done at Lower Sandy Bay.
All look really nice – but were done at great cost to many Hobart ratepayers but with little actual benefit for most of them.
I think that there is a need for much more focus on what is spent on the capital works program and whom does it benefit – with a view to trying to have fewer grand monuments that benefit few ratepayers.
As indicated in my brief statement that has been circulated to all potential voting ratepayers, I think that development of the very large area that is the Domain for recreation uses would be a much better investment for the people of Hobart than most others been canvassed.
I consider the area that is the Domain is similar to Central Park in New York. That is, it is a great asset owned by all the ratepayers that nearly every ratepayer could use – if it was sensitively developed for more recreation activities.
However, there are very good examples much closer to home. Kings Park in Perth is probably the best Australian example – although there are good ones in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. It is on the edge of the CBD, is very accessible and has been developed so that there is something for every ratepayer.
At Kings Park in Perth, there are cycling ways, running tracks, playgrounds, gardens, city viewing platforms, heritage interpretations, a small art gallery, b-b-q’s, toilets, kiosk, restaurant, etc etc.
To my mind, I think far more of Hobart’s ratepayers would get far more benefit from the investment in upgrading the Domain area to provide these sorts of opportunities than from investing any more money in foreshore developments in the richer suburbs of Battery Point and Sandy Bay.
Bear in mind that millions of dollars would be required to construct a new foreshore walkway and considerable risks taken in any significant foreshore improvement for the safe access of people along the waterfront at Battery Point and into Sandy Bay – particularly given the predictions of water level rises and storm surges flowing from global warming.
So as a simple conclusion, I think that there are opportunities to do far more good for many more ratepayers by doing projects other than further consideration of a major new walkway around Battery Point.
I hope that more people come on board and support the idea of a walking track, cycle track, look out area, public toilets etc at the Domain hill – which is owned by Council and work could start almost immediately. The Domain hill is a jewel just waiting to be discovered, used and enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of Hobart people each year.
Thanks for providing me the opportunity to express my views on this issue which is of great interest to many people.
Peter Brownscombe
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