Agenda of Special City Infrastructure Committee Meeting

Agenda (Open Portion)

Special City Infrastructure Committee Meeting

Page 4

7/8/2017

Special City Infrastructure Committee Meeting (Open Portion) held Monday, 7 August 2017 at 4:50 pm in the Lady Osborne Room, Town Hall.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Burnet (Chairman)

Deputy Lord Mayor Christie

Reynolds

Denison

Harvey

ALDERMEN

Lord Mayor Hickey

Zucco

Briscoe

Ruzicka

Sexton

Cocker

Thomas

Apologies: Nil.

Leave of Absence: Nil.

1. Co-Option of a Committee Member in the event of a vacancy

2. Indications of Pecuniary and Conflicts of Interest

Ref: Part 2, Regulation 8(7) of the Local Government (Meeting Procedures) Regulations 2015.

Aldermen are requested to indicate where they may have any pecuniary or conflict of interest in respect to any matter appearing on the agenda, or any supplementary item to the agenda, which the committee has resolved to deal with.

3. Transfer of Agenda Items

Regulation 15 of the Local Government (Meeting Procedures) Regulations 2015.

A committee may close a part of a meeting to the public where a matter to be discussed falls within 15(2) of the above regulations.

In the event that the committee transfer an item to the closed portion, the reasons for doing so should be stated.

Are there any items which should be transferred from this agenda to the closed portion of the agenda, or from the closed to the open portion of the agenda?

Item No. 4.1

Agenda (Open Portion)

Special City Infrastructure Committee Meeting

Page 8

7/8/2017

REPORT TITLE: Murray Street (Davey Street to Morrison Street) – Request for Footpath Closure to Facilitate Construction Works

REPORT PROVIDED BY: Manager Traffic Engineering

Director City Infrastructure

1. Report Purpose and Community Benefit

1.1. This report has been written to seek approval from the Committee and Council for the issue of a licence to Hazell Bros that includes the closure of sections of the footpath on the southern side of Murray Street between Davey Street and Morrison Street, to facilitate the demolition and construction works at 10 and 12 Murray Street.

1.2. The closure of the footpath itself has no real community benefit. It will require pedestrians to cross to the northern footpath, which will be an inconvenience to some users.

1.3. Typically the consideration of the issuing of licences to utilise parts of public highways to facilitate private construction is an operational matter that would be considered and determined by officers using existing delegations.

1.4. In this case, officers are of the view that the proposal is contrary to a current Council resolution, and while officers consider the proposal appropriate, the matter is being referred to the Committee on that basis.

2. Report Summary

2.1. An application for the closure of the southern footpath of Murray Street to facilitate demolition and construction works at 10 and 12 Murray Street has been received.

2.2. On 12 October 2015, the Council resolved to modify the management of commercial furniture and infrastructure on public footpaths. As part of this resolution, limitations were placed on the approval of closures of footpaths for private construction works in the CBD and busy / high volume pedestrian streets.

2.3. After considering the application, and the impact it would have on pedestrians and adjacent premises, it is recommended that this application be supported.

3. Recommendation

That the General Manager be authorised to vary the Council position on the long term closure of footpaths to facilitate private construction, as detailed in the Council resolution of 12 October 2015, by permitting the closure of sections of the southern footpath on Murray Street between Davey Street and Morrison Street, and the detouring of pedestrians to the northern footpath, to facilitate the demolition and construction works at 10 and 12 Murray Street, Hobart.

4. Background

4.1. An application has been received from Hazell Bros, as the entity undertaking the demolition and construction works at 10 and 12 Murray Street, for private occupation of parts of the Murray Street highway reservation along the frontage of those sites.

4.2. For context, the Council considered a report on the future management of infrastructure on footpaths in October 2015. At its meeting of 12 October 2015, the Council resolved inter alia as follows:

“That: 1. The General Manager be authorised to modify the management of commercial furniture and infrastructure on public footpaths towards a best practice model approach, where such furniture and signage is only permitted if it does not interfere with the safe and equitable movement of pedestrians along that public footpath, specifically:

(ii) Occupation of the footpath during weekdays (7am to 7pm) for the purpose of private construction activity on adjacent land, not be approved in CBD locations (as defined in the Highways By-law 3 of 2008) or on busy urban and high volume streets, unless a suitable detour is provided that does not require pedestrians to cross the road.”

4.3. The purpose of the resolution, as it is understood, was to discourage the long term closure of busy pedestrian footpaths for private construction activities, as these closures can significantly inconvenience pedestrians by requiring them to cross streets, and can also disadvantage commercial businesses who see significant reductions in pedestrian traffic.

4.4. The Parliament Square site, bounded by Murray Street – Davey Street – Salamanca Place – Parliament House, has been subject to construction works for several years.

4.5. Hazell Bros, who will be undertaking the demolition works at 10 and 12 Murray Street, are seeking permission to close the footpath on the southern side of Murray Street between Morrison Street and Davey Street to facilitate its works. This footpath closure would also be required during the construction phase.

4.6. Officers consider Murray Street between Davey Street and Morrison Street to be an important pedestrian linkage between the CBD and the Hobart Waterfront and Salamanca precinct. The closure of the footpath, and the detouring of pedestrians to the northern footpath, would therefore be considered by officers to be contrary to the Council resolution of 12 October 2015.

4.7. Hazell Bros has provided a ‘Traffic and Pedestrian Impact Report’ (refer Attachment A) and a letter describing why they propose to seek to erect a tower crane on the Murray Street road reserve (refer Attachment B).

4.8. Based on the information provided, Hazell Bros are seeking to close the footpath (requiring pedestrians to cross to the northern side of Murray Street) from late August 2017, until approximately May 2018.

4.9. During this period, footpath access would be maintained to 10 Murray Street for the short period that it remains occupied (approximately the end of September 2017).

4.10. Other than a short period from late August to the end of September when the 10 Murray Street building remains open, the only active building with frontage to the southern footpath of Murray Street is Parliament House. The Sergeant-at-Arms of the Parliament of Tasmania Administration, and Treasury as the owner of the 10 Murray Street building have been consulted about the proposal, and have offered no objection.

4.11. At those times that the footpath is closed, pedestrians walking along this section of Murray Street would be required to cross to the northern footpath using the pedestrian signals at the Davey Street / Murray Street and Murray Street / Morrison Street intersection. It is estimated that this section of Murray Street carries in the order of 4,300 pedestrians per weekday, evenly split between the northern and southern footpath.

4.12. Under this proposal, the approximately 2,150 pedestrians per weekday that currently use the southern footpath would be inconvenienced by having to modify their route by using either Salamanca Place, the northern footpath of Murray Street, or Elizabeth Street as an alternative route between the CBD and the Hobart Waterfront. In the ‘Traffic and Pedestrian Impact Report’ the additional distance this would require these pedestrians to walk is estimated at 30 metres.

4.13. On the basis of the following, it is the view of officers that this closure is reasonable and can be supported:

(i) There will be no active frontage properties that would be significantly impacted by the footpath closure.

(ii) The additional walking distance imposed on the public being relatively small in the context of the total distance covered by a pedestrian walking between the CBD and the Hobart Waterfront.

(iii) The presence of traffic signals at the pedestrian crossing points.

4.14. Allowing the footpath closure would simplify the tower crane arrangements for the works, allowing the crane to be erected and to operate in the Murray Street road reservation.

4.15. While this footpath closure would be contrary to the position identified in Council resolution of October 2015, it is the view of officers that on this particular site, the closure of the footpath is reasonable and can be supported.

5. Proposal and Implementation

5.1. It is proposed that the Council’s position, as detailed in the resolution of 12 October 2015, to not approve the closure of footpaths to facilitate private construction works in the CBD and on busy urban and high volume pedestrian streets, be varied to allow the closure of the southern footpath on Murray Street between Davey Street and the access to Parliament House to facilitate the demolition and construction works at 10 and 12 Murray Street, Hobart.

5.2. If the Council endorses this position, officers will work with the applicant to finalise the application, and issue the necessary permits utilising existing delegations.

6. Strategic Planning and Policy Considerations

6.1. The Capital City Strategic Plan 2015 - 2025 Goal 2 – Urban Management is relevant in considering this report, particularly:

SO 2.1 – A fully accessible and connected city environment.

2.1.2 – Enhance transport connections within Hobart.

SO 2.2 – A people-focussed city with well-designed and well managed urban and recreation spaces.

2.2.5 – Increase and improve connectivity throughout the inner city.

7. Financial Implications

7.1. Funding Source and Impact on Current Year Operating Result

7.1.1. All costs associated with implementing the traffic management to facilitate the proposed works are to be borne by the applicant. The approved fees and charges rates for ‘Occupation of Public Highway – Long Term Construction’ and recovery of revenue from closed metered parking spaces will be charged to the applicant.

8. Delegation

8.1. The Manager Traffic Engineering and all positions to which that position reports have delegation to issue licences for the occupation of parts of the highway reservation to facilitate private construction.

8.2. Since this proposal includes the closure of the footpath on the southern side of Murray Street, it is contrary to the Council’s resolution of 12 October 2015, in which the Council resolved that the full closure of footpaths not be permitted.

8.3. Officers are therefore not able to issue a licence for this proposed occupation without a Council resolution.

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.

Angela Moore

Manager Traffic Engineering

Mark Painter

Director City Infrastructure

Date: 4 August 2017

File Reference: F17/95716

Attachment a: Traffic & Pedestrian Impact Report - July 2017 - Midson Traffic ⇩

Attachment b: Letter - Tower Crane - 25 July 2017 ⇩

about people	We value people – our community, our customers and colleagues.
professional	We take pride in our work.
enterprising	We look for ways to create value.
responsive	We’re accessible and focused on service.
inclusive	We respect diversity in people and ideas.
making a difference	We recognise that everything we do shapes Hobart’s future.