Questions Without Notice - Launceston Council Meeting 23 May 2016

The Mayor and Aldermen
City of Launceston
Town Hall
Questions Without Notice - Launceston Council Meeting 23 May 2016

I congratulate the Mayor in bringing Mayors of surrounding councils in the northern area to a MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING to support the proposed UTas move to Inveresk and Willis Street.

Questions on behalf of concerned citizens of Launceston :

1. Will the Mayor and Aldermen now call on these councils to
·       share the costs and outgoings associated with this proposed move by UTas?
·       contribute to the purchase of the subject land at Willis Street and the Old Velodrome area at Inveresk (value $5.3M)?
·       reimburse Launceston ratepayers the loss of $88,000/annum currently earned from car parking?
·       contribute to the cost of the proposed footbridge over the North Esk River that is to unite the two campuses ?
·       contribute to the cost of the separation of stormwater and sewerage infrastructure in the Inveresk area and the re-building/upgrading of the Ti-tree Bend Sewerage Treatment Plant to full tertiary treatment standards ? (estimated cost $600M - $1B?).
·       contribute to the cost of providing car parking for up to 12,000 students ? (cost unknown).
·       contribute to the cost of preparing a Traffic Management Study of the area, and associated costs for new/upgraded road infrastructure ? (cost unknown).
·       contribute to the cost of potentially having to relocate the Royal Launceston Showground and infrastructure ? (cost unknown).

And, furthermore:

2. Will Launceston City Council ensure that the costs of all LCC staff time spent dealing with the UTas relocation be charged on at a full-cost recovery basis? (cost unknown).

3. As the present Inveresk Car park is fully utilised since the opening of the accommodation units, will council now need to relocate the remainder of QVMAG to the Wellington St Site due to parking shortages for visitors at Inveresk?

4. As LCC ratepayers bear the recurrent costs of providing Regional Facilities losing around $8M annually, (Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery, Aurora Stadium, Launceston Aquatic Centre, Remount Road Tip, Princess Theatre, Albert Hall, Hoblers Bridge Rd Netball Centre, St Leonards Athletics Centre), will these losses be passed on the surrounding councils?

As LCC Mayor & Aldermen already support amalgamation of council's in the Northern Region, and as all Mayors who have signed the MoU are in harmony and apparently united:
5. Will LCC now call on Minister for Local Government, Peter Gutwein to convene a meeting of these parties so as to achieve Municipal Amalgamation by November 2017?

I thank you for receiving these important questions and suggest that with the forthcoming Public Meeting on June 7 2016, there is an ideal opportunity at the completion of the advertised Agenda, to put all of these matters forward for discussion by the electors and residents of Launceston.

Yours sincerely,


Basil Fitch.

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