Mayor Barry Easther, West Tamar Council, Tas
Q. How long have you been on Council?
I have been a Councillor since March 1983 and was elected Mayor for the years between 1990 and 1994. Popular voting for Mayors and Deputy Mayors was introduced in Tasmania for the October 2000 Council elections and I have been privileged to have been elected Mayor on each occasion since then.
Q. Why did you want to become involved in Local Government?
My family moved from Launceston to live in a rural setting in the West Tamar. I became involved at the local school our children attended, joined the local Rotary Club and one thing led to another. One day I was approached by a member of the Farmers and Graziers Association and asked if I would consider standing at the next Council election. After some consultation with my family, I agreed. The farmers were very supportive of me at the election and I was successful.
Q. Can you tell us about your Local Government area?
The West Tamar municipal area includes the western side of the Tamar River from the suburban Launceston area of Riverside, extending north to Bass Strait and as far west as Frankford. We have an area of 689 square kilometres, a road network of 450 kilometres and are home to just over 21,000 residents. The area has a high proportion of residents who are employed at Launceston or the heavy industrial area, Bell Bay, which is on the eastern side of the Tamar Estuary. Our major industries include retail, tourism, rural, fishing, vineyards, extractive industries, orchards, arts and crafts, maritime education and general service industries. The West Tamar hosts some of the State’s leading vineyards. The mild climate and sheltered, gently sloping hills of the region have proved to be ideal for grape growing and the production of some great cool climate wines.
Q. Tell us about Council’s experience with the Beaconsfield Mine collapse.
The gold mine is in the centre of Beaconsfield and on hearing the news of the collapse the local community could not believe that this had happened at ‘their mine’. Many residents had experienced occasional ground movements and pretty well accepted this as being part of underground mining activity, not thinking for one moment that anything untoward would happen. The media started arriving in town very quickly and at this time the residents retreated to their homes. They were certainly not accustomed to seeing so many television cameras and journalists walking the main street looking for a story! It is fair to say that the community was in shock and, as the 14 days of the rescue progressed, they experienced a rollercoaster ride of emotions. The community coped very well, showed a lot of care and support towards each other and to the miner’s families. Today Beaconsfield continues to be a caring and closeknit community.
Q. What were the key factors to remember when dealing with an emergency?
I believe the most critical factor in dealing with an emergency is to have Emergency Management and Community Recovery Plans in place and ensure they are reviewed regularly. The fact that our plans were in a ‘state of readiness’ meant that as soon as Council was advised of the rock fall at the mine, we were well placed to put things into action. Within an hour of being notified, our Municipal Emergency Management and Community Recovery Centres were being established. Having a very good relationship with Tasmania Police and all of the emergency services was clearly a great benefit to us.
From my perspective as Mayor, and as one journalist put it, I became the ‘reassuring face of the local community’. Nothing could have prepared me for what eventually unfolded at Beaconsfield. The media presence, said to be the highest recorded in Australian history, was certainly an experience I will never forget and thankfully I was able to hold that side of the emergency together. At the same time, Council staff and volunteers from neighbouring Councils were working 12 hour shifts, making sure all other aspects of our plans were working effectively.
Q. What are the key challenges facing you and your Council?
Like most Councils around the country, we continually have to balance the services we offer with the funding that is available. We therefore support the Australian Local Government Association in its efforts to achieve fair funding for Local Government through a set percentage of Federal Government revenue. We are in desperate need of a growth tax to assist us in keeping pace with our ageing infrastructure.
Another challenge is statutory planning. We are required to comply with the State Government’s ‘Protection of Agricultural Land Policy’. In a municipal area that is made up of small titles, many in the 15 to 25 hectare range, our draft planning scheme does not allow a dwelling to be built on a title less than 50 hectares in the Rural Resource zone. We are currently working with the Resource Planning and Development Commission, endeavouring to provide owners of one of these small existing titles to be able to build a dwelling.
Q. What are the key aspects of being a good Councillor?
I believe that a Councillor must be available and prepared to listen to all suggestions, requests, concerns and criticisms. Constituents look for leadership from their elected representative and have an expectation that their views will be fairly represented. It is important to remember that working as a member of a team, you will have the satisfaction of being part of the decision making process that will provide the best results for your community.
Councillor Margaret Wheatley, Deputy Mayor, Flinders Council, Tasmania
Q. How long have you been on Council?
I was first elected as a Councillor from 1996 to 2004.
I didn’t contest the next elections, as I had three teenage daughters and needed more family time. I have been a Councillor and Deputy Mayor since October 2005.
Q. Why did you want to become involved in Local Government?
I saw the area I grew up in in economic decline, with a falling population. Having been in business here for over 30 years, I thought that my contribution could make a difference.
Q. Can you tell us about your Local Government area?
Flinders Council is responsible for the islands of eastern Bass Strait, from Hogan Island just south of the border with Victoria in the north, to Clarke Island in the south. The largest and most populated island is Flinders Island. We have a number of islands that have been returned either in whole or in part to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community. Our total resident population is just under 900 people. Flinders Island and all our other islands are the most beautiful, natural places in the world. Farming is our major industry and is supported by a small fishing industry, however, tourism is now catching up. We also have the best lamb, crayfish and scenery anyone could hope for.
Q. What are the key challenges facing you and your Council?
We are the smallest Council in the State but have the same responsibilities as the largest, and a very small budget to work with. A section of our community doesn’t want anything to change and others are concerned that if we don’t go forward we go backwards, because nothing stays the same. Our young people have been leaving to access tertiary education and then stay away to find work. We must encourage suitable, low key development to increase our population, provide jobs and improve infrastructure and services without jeopardising our environment and lifestyle.
Q. What innovative projects is your Council working on?
There have been a number of reports on a sewerage scheme for our second largest town, Lady Barron. With price tags of up to $5 million, we cannot afford to go ahead. We now intend to purchase individual evaporative systems instead, at a fraction of the cost to the community. We are upgrading our solid waste management system and upgrading our main community hall as well.
Q. Tell us about a specific success you have had in Local Government?
The best one to date is the sealing of a longer runway at our airport so that we can now have visits from aircrafts up to 36 seats in size, in any weather. Our local commuter airline has just upgraded from a 10 seat aircraft to a 19 seat aircraft and we hope that it won’t be too long before they build up enough passenger numbers to purchase a larger aircraft again.
Q. What are the key aspects of being a good Councillor?
It is important to make sure your eyes and ears do more than your mouth! Councillors are the face of the whole community and must be team players that are able to listen to and understand the whole community so that they can properly represent the majority of the people.
