Item No. 28

Supplementary Agenda (Open Portion)

Council Meeting

Page 1

 

24/4/2017

 

 

 

 

 

HCC Coat of Arms.jpg
City of hobart

AGENDA

Council Meeting

 

Open Portion

 

Monday, 24 April 2017

 

at 5.00 pm

Council Chamber, Town Hall

 

SUPPLEMENTARY ITEM

ORDER OF BUSINESS

special report of the acting general manager

28       TasWater - Local Government Association of Tasmania -   Special General Meeting Motions. 1

       

 

 

 

28.      TasWater - Local Government Association of Tasmania -
Special General Meeting Motions

            File Ref: F17/40854; 41-50-12

Report of the Acting General Manager of 24 April 2017.

Delegation:                 Council

 

 

 

 

The Acting General Manager reports:

“That in accordance with the provisions of Part 2 Regulation 8(6) of the Local Government (Meeting Procedures) Regulations 2015, this supplementary matter is submitted for the consideration of the Committee.

Pursuant to Regulation 8(6), I report that:

(a)   information in relation to the matter was provided subsequent to the distribution of the agenda;

 

(b)   the matter is regarded as urgent; and

 

(c)   advice is provided pursuant to Section 65 of the Act.”

 

 


Item No. 28

Supplementary Agenda (Open Portion)

Council Meeting

Page 3

 

24/4/2017

 

 

 

 

Memorandum: Council

 

TasWater - Local Government Association of Tasmania -
Special General Meeting Motions

 

The purpose of this memorandum is to request the Council’s consideration to submit motions to a special General Meeting of the Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT) to be held on 11 May 2017.

·    On 7 March 2017, the Premier and Treasurer announced that the State Government would take over responsibility for and control of TasWater.

·    In response to this announcement the Council resolved at its 14 March 2017 meeting to:

o Reject the State Government taking over water and sewerage systems across the State, in the interests of the ratepayers of Hobart;

o Seek a meeting with the Treasurer and TasWater representatives.

·    The Council’s decision was communicated to the State Government and TasWater:

o Invites were deferred until after the Treasurer addressed a LGAT meeting which was held on 7 April 2017;

o Letters have now been sent to the Treasurer and TasWater inviting them to address the Council.

·    At the 7 April 2017 LGAT meeting, the Treasuer highlighted the following:

o The State Government will fund annual payments to councils from its budget, not from TasWater;

o Legislation will prevent future privatisation of TasWater;

o An accelerated infrastructure program;

o No job losses.

·    A motion was also passed at this meeting requesting that the TasWater Owners’ Representatives be encouraged to strongly consider providing permission to TasWater to interact with Treasury to ensure proper modelling of the takeover proposal being put by the State Government.

·    A special LGAT General Meeting is to be held on 11 May 2017 and Miles Hampton, Chairman of TasWater will be in attendance.

o The LGAT wrote to councils seeking water and sewerage motions for consideration at this meeting.

·    In reviewing the Council’s discussion on this matter, the unresolved, unanswered issues appear to include the following:

o Appropriate compensation for the value of the capital assets paid for by Hobart residents; and,

o A clearer picture of what dividends the Council is likely to receive after 2024/25.

·    The following motions are therefore submitted to the Council for its consideration:

o The LGAT lobby the State Government that in the event of a takeover of TasWater, all councils be appropriately compensated for the investment they have made in long life assets.

o The Local Government Association of Tasmania lobby the State Government to provide certainty to councils around the total value of returns after 2024/25.

REcommendation

That:

1.      That the information be received and noted.

The Council consider submitting to the special LGAT General Meeting the following motions:

(i)      The Local Government Association of Tasmania lobby the State Government that in the event of a takeover of TasWater, all councils be appropriately compensated for the investment they have made in long life assets.

(ii)     The Local Government Association of Tasmania lobby the State Government to provide certainty to councils around the total value of returns after 2024/25.

2.      The Council endorse the motion made at the 7 April 2017 Local Government Association of Tasmania that the TasWater Owners’ Representatives be encouraged to strongly consider providing permission to TasWater to interact with Treasury to ensure proper modelling of the takeover proposal being put by the State Government.

 

As signatory to this report, I certify that, pursuant to Section 55(1) of the Local Government Act 1993, I hold no interest, as referred to in Section 49 of the Local Government Act 1993, in matters contained in this report.

 

Heather Salisbury

Acting General Manager

 

 

Date:                            24 April 2017

File Reference:          F17/40854; 41-50-12