Update - Northern Midlands Council Response to Questions Regarding the Sale of the Town Hall in Campbell Town

The minutes and audio recording of the Northern Midlands Council meeting held on the 21st of March are now available online: Council Meeting Minutes - Northern Midlands Council

When I checked the minutes and listened to the recording it became clear that Council are allowing the public to attend meetings even though prior to this meeting the website page that lists the meeting agenda and attachments had stated that they had suspended the attendance of the public at Council Meetings until further notice. This has now been changed to say that they are allowing limited attendance.

The audio recording is split into two sessions with public question time at the start of the second session. Transcript from the audio recording:

Starting at 1:51

Mayor Knowles: And we do have a brief set of questions from Jennifer Bolton. Can I ask has everybody read those questions?

General response: Yes, yes.

Mayor Knowles: Alright, so that will be answered by Council officers.

I was hoping for some discussion among the councillors but apparently that is not how questions are handled. The Council's response is not included in the minutes either although the questions I submitted are listed. I did receive a formal response from the General Manager which I have shared below.

In summary, the Council has not yet made any alternative arrangements to accommodate Service Tasmania and the Museum and Visitor Information Centre although they do say they will "meet to discuss options available". My third question asked the Council to agree not to sell the Town Hall if it will result in the loss of either of the current tenants from Campbell Town. This request wasn't properly addressed so it appears that the Council are determined to proceed with the sale regardless of the consequences.

Questions for the Northern Midlands Council

In the light of the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal decision regarding the plan to sell the Town Hall in Campbell Town I have submitted several questions to the Northern Midlands Council to be addressed at their next meeting on the 21st of March, 2022.

1. What steps has the Council taken to ensure the continued operation of Service Tasmania in Campbell Town?
2. What steps has the Council taken to secure the long-term future of the Campbell Town Museum and Visitor Information Centre?
3. Will the Council give an undertaking not to sell the Town Hall in Campbell Town if this action will result in the closure of the Service Tasmania branch and or the Campbell Town Museum and Visitor Information Centre?

The Northern Midlands Council is not currently allowing public attendance at their meetings due to the pandemic but the Council's response to my questions should appear in the minutes of the meeting. There will also be an audio recording of the proceedings available on the Council website a few days after the meeting.

TASCAT verdict on the sale of the Town Hall in Campbell Town

The Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has confirmed the decision by the Northern Midlands Council to sell the Town Hall in Campbell Town. A hearing to consider an appeal against the Council's decision to sell was conducted in February but unfortunately the arguments presented did not convince the Tribunal to block the sale. As no other avenues of appeal are available the Council is now free to begin the sale process. The full report on the hearing and the Tribunal's judgement can be seen here:

A McCullagh v Northern Midlands Council [2022] TASCAT 24 (9 March 2022) (austlii.edu.au)

Proposed Sale of the Town Hall in Campbell Town by the Northern Midlands Council

There is a full hearing at the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT) today to determine the fate of the Town Hall in Campbell Town.

Friday, 25 February 2022

10.00 am - 140/21SOL - 75 & 77 High Street, Campbell Town
Notice of Intention to Sell Public Land - Town Hall, Campbell Town

The decision of the Northern Midlands Council to sell the Town Hall has been appealed in a last-ditch attempt to keep this historically significant building in public hands and to ensure that the current tenants, Service Tasmania and the Campbell Town Museum and Visitor Information Centre, can continue to operate. The Council decision to sell the Town Hall was made despite the knowledge that it would jeopardise the provision of essential services to Campbell Town and the surrounding district. The next closest Service Tasmania branch is a 100km round trip to either Oatlands or Longford. The Council decision flies in the face of their own planning scheme (Northern Midlands Interim Planning Scheme 2013) which emphasises the importance of Campbell Town as “the principal service centre in the central Midlands” (page A-7). How can the Council justify selling this important building in the heart of Campbell Town and stripping the community of these essential services?

                       Image: Google Earth

Below is a document outlining my objections to the proposed sale of the Town Hall in Campbell Town. This document has been shared with the appellant for use at the Tribunal hearing.

Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal

140/21SOL - 75 & 77 High Street, Campbell Town

Notice of Intention to Sell Public Land - Town Hall, Campbell Town

I object to the decision of the Northern Midlands Council to sell the Town Hall in Campbell Town on the grounds that it is not in the public interest. This is because the community may suffer undue hardship due to the loss of access to, and the use of, this public facility and because there is no similar facility available to the current users of the Town Hall.

The sale of the Town Hall would result in the loss of the civic heart of the town and the real possibility of the loss of services that are essential to the community of Campbell Town and the surrounding district. The first concern is the closure of the Service Tasmania branch currently located within the Town Hall where it provides government services to the residents of the Campbell Town locality. The next closest branch is either 50km to the south in Oatlands or 50km to the north in Longford. The need to make a 100km round trip to access government services if the Town Hall is sold is an example of the undue hardship the community would face. There are no safeguards in place to ensure Service Tasmania could remain in the building after sale and once lost from the town it is quite likely this service would never return. Campbell Town is the major service centre in the central Midlands.

According to the Northern Midlands Interim Planning Scheme 2013:

"Campbell Town’s highway position and centrality to the Midlands district, and its existing concentration of business, community, health and education services provide a basis for Campbell Town to consolidate its role as the principal service centre in the central Midlands."

Section 3.2.8, Page A-7

Northern-Midlands-Interim-Planning-Scheme-2013-last-updated-4-January-2022-02-2021.pdf (northernmidlands.tas.gov.au) (accessed 20 Feb 2022).

The sale of the Town Hall and loss of Service Tasmania would diminish the quality of life in the central Midlands region with a knock-on effect harming local businesses. If residents need to travel north or south to access government services they will most likely conduct other business and do their shopping at the same time, leading to a decline in the viability of Campbell Town.

The other full-time tenant facing eviction if the Town Hall is sold is the Campbell Town Museum and Visitor Information Centre. The visitor information centre, run by volunteers, is the only source of information for tourists visiting Campbell Town. Its loss would downgrade the tourism experience in Campbell Town resulting in a negative effect on the many businesses in town that rely on the tourist trade. The loss of the museum would have the same consequences but there is a potentially even greater concern. What would become of the museum’s collection? There is a real possibility that if the Town Hall is sold the exhibits and artefacts telling the story of the history of Campbell Town could also be lost. This would be a double tragedy coupled with the loss of the building itself from public hands. The Campbell Town Town Hall has played a central role in the culture and history of Campbell Town throughout the past eight decades and features a memorial tower dedicated to Dr Walter Tofft, a long-serving and highly respected local doctor. The sale of the Town Hall would place all this history in jeopardy. This attack on the cultural identity of Campbell Town will create undue hardship for the residents of the town and the surrounding region.

There is no evidence the Northern Midlands Council has any plans in place to support the current tenants of the Town Hall in finding alternative premises. This includes the Community Market that takes place in the Town Hall on the last Sunday of each month. The loss of the market would impact business and tourism in the town. The hardship created would be magnified because the market also provides a regular opportunity for the community to gather which would also be lost.

There are no other facilities in Campbell Town that can compare to the Town Hall. The facility at the sportsground cannot function as a theatre or a movie cinema. It cannot provide a space for Service Tasmania or the Campbell Town Museum and Visitor Information Centre, neither can the Guide Hall located where it is in the back streets of Campbell Town instead of in the centre of town. In any case, the future of the Guide Hall is under a cloud given the Council’s decision in their meeting on 28 June 2021 to spend $15,000 investigating the conversion of 24 King Street Campbell Town into a commercial cabin/caravan/short-term accommodation facility. The Guide Hall is located at this address.

There is ample evidence that the sale of the Town Hall in Campbell Town is not in the public interest as it will cause undue hardship to the residents of Campbell Town and the surrounding district due to the loss of services and facilities currently housed there and due to the loss of the building itself from public hands, a building that is historically significant and an iconic landmark on the Midland Highway. The Northern Midlands Council has not suggested any alternative locations for the services currently provided at the Town Hall and they cannot because there are no other comparable facilities available in Campbell Town.

Valentine’s Day Reflections on the Ross Bridge

The Lover’s Lane walkway in Ross runs along the east bank of the Macquarie River north of the Ross Bridge. A feature along the walk is the Prisoners of Love artwork by Bruno Barcodi. More can be read about this installation on the Northern Midlands Council website where it is referred to as the Skulduggery Love Seat. [1]

From the pathway there are views across the water to the Ross Bridge, the heritage jewel in the crown of the southernmost town in the Northern Midlands municipality. Following on from Valentine’s Day earlier this week, is it now time to show some love to the Ross Bridge?

There are several matters that require attention including national heritage listing, flood protection, access around the bridge and historical interpretation. Kim Peart and I have raised these issues many times over recent years with the Northern Midlands Council, Tasmanian State Government and through the media. Kim Peart nominated the Ross Bridge for national heritage listing in 2016 but this application was unsuccessful. [2] I spoke to the Northern Midlands Council in October 2017 requesting they consider submitting their own national heritage nomination for the bridge. [3] At their meeting in December 2017 the Northern Midlands Council agreed to proceed with the nomination [4] but unfortunately this application was also unsuccessful. [5]

Also, in December 2017 I raised the need for the Ross Bridge to be protected from debris when the Macquarie River floods [6] and the Council resolved to seek discussions with the State Government regarding flood plans to protect the bridge. There was also coverage in the media where locals expressed their concerns over the risk posed by flood debris. [7] In 2019, I spoke with John Tucker MP, Member for Lyons, about flood protection for the Ross Bridge and raised the issue again at the June 2019 Council meeting as apparently no progress had been made since I first spoke on the matter 18 months earlier. [8] Finally, a report was provided to Council at their August 2019 meeting following discussion between Council officers and staff from the Department of State Growth which is responsible for the Ross Bridge. [9] This brief report did not support the use of debris barriers but did suggest proactive management both upstream and downstream of the bridge to minimise risk. They recommended the removal of large logs that may impact the bridge during a flood and ensuring the river could flow freely downstream to prevent water backing up against it but it is unclear whether this management is occurring and indeed whose responsibility it would be.

Pedestrian access to the surrounds of the Ross Bridge for the purposes of viewing the carvings and taking photographs is quite limited. This is despite the area being public land, a combination of council-owned and Crown land. Another matter that needs addressing is the lack of an interpretation installation explaining the historical significance of the Ross Bridge. To the south of the bridge on the eastern bank there is a carpark, barbeque shelter and a historic engineering marker but there is no further information for tourists and other visitors interested in the story of the bridge’s construction and its unique carvings. Kim Peart has long promoted the idea of a heritage park on public land around the bridge and extending to other historic sites including the old stables and Uniting Church. This would include an interpretation installation for the Ross Bridge. Unfortunately, the Northern Midlands Council chose to purchase privately-owned land in the main street next to the pub to create a town park rather than developing parklands on the public land around the river.

So, what needs to happen with the Ross Bridge?

Should another attempt be made to secure national heritage listing?

Should more be done to prevent flood damage to the bridge?

Should the bridge environs be improved and interpretation of the historical significance of the Ross Bridge be provided? 

What do you think?

References

[1] History - Northern Midlands Council

[2] Australian Heritage Database (environment.gov.au)

[3] GOV1 (northernmidlands.tas.gov.au) Page 1304

[4] GOV1 (northernmidlands.tas.gov.au) Page 1656

[5] Australian Heritage Database (environment.gov.au)

[6] GOV1 (northernmidlands.tas.gov.au) Page 1629

[7] Ross Bridge needs protection plan to save unique stone carvings from flood damage, locals say - ABC News

[8] GOV1 (northernmidlands.tas.gov.au) Page 862

[9] GOV1 (northernmidlands.tas.gov.au) Page 1177

Running for Northern Midlands Council in 2022

I have announced my intention to run for Councillor and Deputy Mayor in the Northern Midlands Council election due in October 2022 alongside Kim Peart who will be running for Councillor and Mayor.

The full announcement can be seen here: MEDIA ….. Planning a Democratic Revolution in the Northern Midlands Council Election in 2022 ..... 24 Jan 2022 - Australian Space Party (discussion.community)

Planning and management of public assets

Planning decisions need to be made only after the community has had an opportunity to express their opinion and voice any concerns they may have. This applies as much to council initiated projects as private developments. Too often in the past council has made decisions regarding public infrastructure or open space without first engaging in wide-ranging consultation with the whole community. If elected I would listen to all viewpoints when considering planning matters. It is not always possible to make a decision where everyone is happy but all voices should be heard.

A related concern is the lease or sale of public buildings and land with little or no consultation within the affected community. While it is legal for council to lease public facilities for less than five years without first advertising for representations I don't believe this is in the spirit of the council serving the community. I would lobby for all proposals to lease publicly-owned land and buildings to private organisations to be advertised before any decisions were made.