King Island is the second smallest Tasmanian local municipality with approximately 1,600 residents. The island lies in Bass Strait midway between the Victorian coast and the northwest Tasmanian coast. Whilst the major focus is agricultural – beef, dairy and crayfishing – it is developing as a premium tourist area with significant golf destinations.
King Island contributes approximately $250 million in annual gross domestic product.
First term councillor
I am a retired accountant in my first term as Councillor and Mayor. I became involved because I felt I could contribute to building a long-term strategy to make King Island more economically secure.
Challenges
For an island, access is always a challenge. Council owns and operates the airport which was handed over by the federal government in 1993. Balancing maintenance costs, CASA requirements and acquiring the substantial grant monies needed for capital improvements to runways, taxiways etc. is an ongoing headache.
However, passenger air travel and freight services are critical for the community, both socially and economically.
The weekly shipping service carries heavy freight and the 30-40,000 beef stock which leave the island annually. This supports abattoir employment in mainland Tasmania.
Sea freight is expensive, logistically difficult and can be unreliable because of weather or maintenance delays. The island is serviced by one commercial ship, and two ships run by TasPorts, the State Government entity.
Ensuring the State Government understands the specific needs – type of vessel, route logistics and frequency – for a vessel to economically and efficiently service King Island when replacement of the current vessel is considered, is a major Council accountability. It is acknowledged the current vessel is unsuitable and was purchased without the necessary input from island producers and businesses.
Unique problems
Our businesses and developments are micro size. An ongoing issue is the lack of understanding by state bureaucrats that ‘one size fits all’ legislation is not appropriate. Examples include a proposed Statewide Waste levy which would add a 3-6 percent increase to rates with no benefit for an island which cannot ship waste to the Tasmanian mainland; and a Cat Policy which would require a person catching a stray domestic cat on the island to fly the cat to mainland Tasmania at their own cost.
To combat the increasing compliance cost imposed by inappropriate legislation Council has ramped up advocacy work with ministers and politicians and has made a concerted effort to respond to as many requested submissions for legislative input as possible.
As a small Council with eight administrative staff, including a Planning Officer, there are not enough staff resources to continually answer information requests, develop presentations or oversee the strategic input for grant driven projects. Therefore, councillors meet in Working Groups to tackle individual projects.
Uniting to harness strengths
The Councillor Working Groups has been a major success which harnesses the passion and expertise individual councillors have about certain issues and allows Council to respond on issues where previously it was impossible to do so.
A second success has been the formal agreement between Flinders and King Island Councils to work together to address shared issues facing their island communities and economies. This strengthens the advocacy effort from both Bass Strait communities.
On a personal note
I enjoy the feeling that you are part of a team of councillors and staff who are committed to doing the best possible for their community.
I don’t like dealing with the small percentage of the community who do not seek correct information before spreading critical, incorrect information. Whilst a fact of life, it can become very tiring.
Because of the small number of staff, Council has fallen behind on a number of compliance issues e.g. strategic plans, review of policies and procedures. By the end of my term, I would like to see all these issues up to date and solid 10 year financial, cash and asset management plans embedded and understood to guide incoming councils.
