Diversity and Inclusivity 

This is a broad topic, and I will endeavour to provide further breakdown on this topic in the coming days. I am absolutely passionate about ensuring that Hobart is a safe, welcoming, and inclusive city – that goes for our LGBTQIA+ community, our aboriginal community, our migrant community, people with disabilities, and so on.

LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity

I do want to pause, though, for a moment on this particular topic. I am nonbinary myself, so making Hobart more inclusive and welcoming for all members of the LGBTQIA+ community is something that’s close to my heart. If elected, I will:

• Seek to create a LGBTQIA+ working group to begin acting on the City of Hobart’s LGBTQIA+ Action Plan
• Move to investigate best practice design options for gender-neutral public amenities, with the intent for any future public amenity construction using these options, and for the conversion of existing City of Hobart-owned amenities to gender neutral.
• Support policy decisions to stamp out homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and any other discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community in Hobart.
• Advocate for public education campaigns around LGBTQIA+ topics, including gender identity pronoun usage (and why “I identify as a frog,” is not the same).

Additional ideas on this topic can be viewed via the Equality Tasmania survey results which have been conducted across many of the candidates statewide. You can view this document here.

Climate Change

It’s the biggest existential threat our species is currently facing, so the idea that Climate Change is somehow ‘not Core Business’ of the Hobart City Council is frankly ridiculous. The City of Hobart has already been leading the way in many areas to combat climate change and promote sustainability. My goal if elected to Council is to support this further including:

• Continuing to promote sustainable energy options akin to the solar panel array on the Doone Kennedy Aquatic Centre.
• Investigate and look to see the City of Hobart’s vehicle fleet converted to electric vehicles or other sustainable alternatives such as hydrogen-based zero-emission vehicles.
• Continuing to investigate ways to support the City of Hobart’s existing Waste Management Strategy, which aims to see Hobart as a zero-landfill city by 2030.

Housing

Hobart is in a housing crisis more serious than anything we’ve ever seen. Australia is one of the most wealthy countries in the world, and the fact that we have a homelessness crisis should be something that we are all ashamed of. 

I believe that Housing needs to be tackled at all levels of government, and I will lobby the state and federal governments for applicable support in tackling the housing crisis here in Hobart. There are, however, things that we can do at a local government level.

• Charging commercial rates on residential properties that are used exclusively for short-stay accommodation.
• Continuing to lobby the state planning commission for change to the existing directives which provide far too much leniency in providing whole-property short stay accommodation permits.
• Supporting plans for appropriate and sustainable development of new property within the Hobart area.
• Encouraging creative, sustainable, low-rise housing developments.

I do not believe Hobart needs to reassess or change height limitations in our city. Hobart’s character and layout is special, and new housing opportunities and developments can be built within the existing restrictions.

Transport

In my opinion, one of the greatest challenges we have around transport, not just within Hobart, but nationwide, is our modern nation undergoing most of its growth in the era of the motor car. We take cars for granted, and the use of cars, trucks, etcetera are so ingrained into our national identity that it’s exceptionally difficult to comprehend life working without them. Which is why one of the key things about easing congestion in our city, and changing things for the better, is to change mindsets.

Most transport solutions in Hobart are going to require collaboration between councils and the state government as well, because so much of our city-based transport comes from the surrounding areas. I have a number of ideas that I’d love to work with surrounding LGAs and the state government which I believe could provide transport solutions in Hobart, which would require further discussion, but the things that I definitely think offer options include:

• Activating the Northern Suburbs rail corridor. The fact that this hasn’t been done yet is a detriment to our city’s transport requirements.
• Prioritise the expansion of the Derwent Ferries service, working with Metro Tas to provide bus services that terminate at ferry terminals rather than all buses coming direct into the city.
• Support the concept of a City of Hobart ‘on-demand’ bus service to facilitate journeys within the city itself.
• Continuing to encourage the growth of active transport and micro transport solutions by implementing infrastructure updates that increase safety and solutions for all community members.
• Investigate and seek to implement ways to increase the use of public transport for school students with the aim to reduce congestion around ‘school drop off/pick up’ times.

Should you have any questions or wish to ask me about anything else, please feel free to contact me either by phone or email:

P: 0415508888
E: hello@cadence4hobart.com