Agenda of Economic Development & Communications Committee Meeting

Item No. 6.1

Agenda (Open Portion)

Economic Development & Communications Committee Meeting

Page 7

23/5/2019

REPORT TITLE: Update Timor-Leste / Balibo Project

REPORT PROVIDED BY: Economic Development Project Officer

Director Community Life

1. Report Purpose and Community Benefit

1.1. The purpose of this report is to provide details of a project to be delivered in partnership in the Timorese village of Balibó.

1.2. The benefit of this report is that it keeps the local community informed of progress in the relationship between Hobart and Balibó. Specifically, there are already a number of organisations, schools and individuals in Hobart and Tasmania working to improve conditions in Timor-Leste. They will be interested to hear of this project and the growing relationship.

2. Report Summary

2.1. The Council has been investigating a relationship with a city / village in Timor-Leste since December 2016.

2.2. In January 2018 a small Council delegation visited Timor-Leste to explore the potential of a waste and recycled focussed project in the village of Balibó.

2.3. The Council on 23 April 2018 resolved inter alia that:

1. Council resolves to commit to a long term relationship with the village of Balibó in Timor-Leste.

2. Should establishment of a long term relationship with Balibó be supported, a report be brought back to Council identifying potential projects, delivery partners and associated costs.

2.4. This report responds to item 2 above.

2.5. During the visit to Balibó, it became apparent that water supply and quality were more immediate issues than waste and recycling at that time.

2.6. Coincidentally the Crawford Fund (a not for profit organisation) chaired in Tasmania by Mr Richard Warner were investigating ways to improve water quality and availability to communities in Timor-Leste.

2.7. The Fund travelled to Timor-Leste in September 2018 and examined the water issue in Balibó.

2.8. They identified issues with infrastructure and replaced that infrastructure in May 2019, thus improving the availability of water in the village. They are also seeking to address the issue of water quality in partnership with the Balibó House Trust.

2.9. With the water issues in the village on the way to being improved, a Council led project focusing on waste education is now feasible. This project seeks to educate school students about issues associated with single use plastics and provide an alternative re-usable drinking vessel.

2.10. Schools in Hobart will be involved in the project as they will purchase bottles for their students which automatically provides a bottle for a Timorese student.

2.11. To give the project the highest chance of success, it will be delivered with a number of partners including the Crawford Fund, Balibó House Trust and Bottle for Botol.

2.12. A project working group will be formed and a detailed report on costing and implementation of the project will be brought back to the Council.

2.13. Subject to feedback and approval from the community in Balibó, the project will be implemented in partnership with them.

3. Recommendation

That the Council endorse the proposed project for the village of Balibó in Timor-Leste, subject to a detailed report on the costs and implementation of the project. This report will be brought back to Council in due course.

4. Background

4.1. The Council on 5 December 2016 resolved:

That Council officers further investigate a community development based relationship with Timor-Leste and a further report be sought outlining the steps to progress such a relationship.

4.2. Significant desk research followed this Council resolution and many conversations took place with groups such as the Timor-Leste Friendship Network (TLFN), the Honorary Consul for Timor-Leste in Tasmania and the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Australia as a means of investigating a relationship.

The village of Balibó was suggested by the TLFN following their visit to Timor-Leste and this was supported by the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Australia. It was felt that the City of Hobart could utilise its expertise in the area of waste and recycling.

This proposal was taken to the Council on 4 December 2017 whereat the Council inter alia resolved that:

1. The Council support a small delegation, with the Committee nominating Alderman Burnet and Alderman Harvey, and two officers, to visit Timor-Leste, and specifically Balibó, to investigate the potential of a relationship and a collaborative waste and recycling project.

2. This small delegation will visit Timor-Leste with Dr Nitin Verma, Honorary Consul to the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste in Tasmania at the end of January 2018.

4.3. On return from the visit, a report was presented to the Economic Development and Communications Committee (EDCC) sharing observations from the visit. The Council on 23 April 2018 resolved inter alia that:

1. Council resolves to commit to a long term relationship with the village of Balibó in Timor-Leste.

2. Should establishment of a long term relationship with Balibó be supported, a report be brought back to Council identifying potential projects, delivery partners and associated costs.

4.4. This report is in response to item 2 above.

Observations in Balibó

4.5. The Council team travelled to Balibó to speak to community members, increase understanding of the village, region and country and investigate whether a waste and recycling project would be appropriate.

4.6. On visiting Balibó, it became apparent that although a waste and recycling project could improve the quality of life in the village, there were more pressing matters for the community.

The City of Hobart group spoke with 14 community members during the visit, including the President of the Bobonaro District, the Sub-District Administrator and the Village Chief. These people made the following comments:

· Clean drinking water is not readily available.

· In rains for 5-6 months a year only.

· There is a water spring in Balibó but it is contaminated with animal excrement as livestock roam free.

The Crawford Fund

4.7. On returning from Balibó, officers met with Mr Richard Warner (Chair of the Tasmanian Crawford Fund Committee) as the Crawford Fund were investigating how they might provide some assistance in Timor-Leste.

4.8. The Crawford Fund is a not-for-profit organisation that ‘…raises awareness of the benefits to Australia and developing countries of Australia’s engagement in international agricultural research and development….’

4.9. Officers communicated their observations from the visit in January 2017 that water availability and quality was the most pressing issue in Balibó at the time.

4.10. Mr Warner travelled to Timor-Leste and visited Balibó in September 2019 with Mr Chris Thompson, a senior consultant with Tasmanian based consultancy Macquarie Franklin, specialising in a number of areas including water and agriculture. They were also accompanied by Mr Abel Guterres, Ambassador for Timor-Leste to Australia.

They travelled to Balibó specifically to examine the water supply and quality issues and also to an area in the west of Timor-Leste to investigate the development of a commercial fruit and vegetable farm.

Findings of the Crawford Fund

4.11. Mr Warner and Mr Thompson conducted an analysis of the water availability and infrastructure in the village and made the following observations:

4.11.1. There is a solar powered water pump at a spring near the village that pumps water for community use to a tank in the village. When that tank is full, excess water should be pumped to a tank at the Balibó Fort Hotel. N.B. The hotel is a social enterprise partnership between Timor Heritage Hotels, the Balibó House Trust and the local community.

4.11.2. The pump is not fit for purpose and so will be replaced by the Crawford Fund in May 2019. The new pump will allow more water to be pumped from the spring into the village storage tank and then from the storage tank (that otherwise floods) for use at the hotel. This will increase the amount of available water considerably.

The Crawford Fund also noted that the central government is installing a mains power supply pump in the west of the village which appeared to be of sound design.

4.11.3. The quality of water is a concern and so microbiological testing is recommended (this has never been conducted). This will be conducted by Mr Chris Thompson during the visit in May 2019 when the new pump is installed. Mr Thompson has sought advice from the Manager of Water Quality at Taswater on this matter.

4.11.4. Assuming the quality of the water is not of a satisfactory standard, the Crawford Fund and Balibó House Trust are currently investigating Sky Hydrants as potential technology for cleaning the water.

4.12. The Crawford Fund has proposed to offset the cost of pumping and filtering the water by enabling a local enterprise that filters, bottles (large re-usable bottles) and delivers water to central locations in the community. It is not felt that this will impact the City of Hobart led project, rather it will re-inforce behaviours around re-use, rather than disposal.

Sky Hydrants

4.13. On introduction by the now Deputy Lord Mayor, a City of Hobart officer met with Ted Burton of the Rotary Club of Youngtown in September 2018. Ted is a representative of Disaster Aid International and was accompanied by two directors of Disaster Aid - John O’Reilly and Brian Ashworth.

They introduced ‘Sky Hydrant’ which is a filtration device costing around $3,500 without a storage tank and $5,000 with a tank. John O’Reilly travelled to Timor and installed one in a school in Dili successfully before the end of 2018.

The hydrants are designed to provide water for 500-1000 community members and rely on gravity fed water. The filtration membrane they use is cleanable and has a service life of 10 years. Disaster Aid has deployed these devices in a number of places including remote areas of the Philippines.

City of Hobart Project

4.14. The Crawford Fund has leveraged the expertise necessary to evaluate the water issues in Balibó and start tackling them alongside on the ground partners the Balibó House Trust. This has laid the foundations for the City of Hobart to deliver outcomes in waste and recycling which is where the City’s expertise lies.

4.15. On walking around the village of Balibó, there was an abundance of litter (see attachment A for photos), this was largely plastic and was either still intact or had been burned. On the school grounds were a concentration of single use plastic cups, complete with plastic straw and plastic film over the top of the cup. Because the availability and quality of water in the village is not adequate, children drink water from the single use plastic cups which are then discarded.

4.16. It is proposed that the City of Hobart leads the delivery of a project in Balibó that educates village children about the environmental impacts of single use plastics whilst providing them with an alternative. This alternative would be a decorative steel bottle with a storage facility at school for each child.

4.17. One of the major aspects of the project would be Hobart community involvement. Local Hobart schools wishing to partake and to forge links with local schools in Balibó will purchase re-usable steel bottles for their students which will fund the supply of a bottle and education for Balibó students.

Potential Partners

Crawford Fund

4.18. The Crawford Fund has provided the expertise and some funding to secure the availability and quality of water.

Bottle for Botol (B4B)

4.19. ‘Bottle for Botol’ has a strong history of delivering the kind of project proposed for Balibó in the Asia-Pacific region. It is a charity that seeks to educate students about plastic pollution and provide an alternative to single use plastic bottles. Bottle for Botol from June 2013 – 2017 has achieved the following:

· 15 Indonesian schools have participated in B4B’s education program.

· 19 Australian schools have fundraised and supported schools in Indonesia.

· 3,663 reusable stainless-steel water bottles have been donated to Indonesian teachers and students and volunteers at events.

· 19 water refill stations have been provided to schools.

· 3 presentations and 8 education workshops have been delivered to Indonesian teachers.

4.20. Dr Catherine Elliott was the program manager of B4B in Indonesia for two years. She is now based in Hobart and works for another organisation as well as volunteering for B4B. An officer met with Catherine who provided additional information.

4.21. B4B normally commits to a school for three years ensuring an uptake across multiple school years to ensure cultural change. Representatives from B4B go to participating schools and ‘train the trainer’ who then delivers the education sessions to the students. The lessons are science based, explaining why plastic is not good in the oceans.

Balibó House Trust (BHT)

4.22. The BHT was established by the Victorian Government in 2002 to purchase and refurbish the Balibó House so it could be handed back to the local people as a learning centre. The Trust has achieved this any many projects since, including:

· Development of the Balibó Fort Hotel and event centre

· Construction of the Balibó Dental Clinic

· Improved the Balibó kindergarten building

· Built a prep to grade 2 school (opened in March 2019)

All of the projects have extended beyond physical buildings to education and training in order to develop local capabilities.

4.23. The Balibó House Trust is well placed to assist with this project given the experience they have had in the village for 17 years. Additionally through Palms Australia there are two Australian volunteers working in Balibó who also assist with Trust work, one of whom has already volunteered in Balibó for two years and is there for a further two and the other who will be in Balibó for one year.

4.24. The Trust has advised that the new prep to grade 2 school that opened in March 2019 could be the best place to implement the project in the first instance as it has a water supply from a nearby spring and a water tank.

4.25. The Trust is involved in projects seeking to address dental hygiene, particularly in schools. One of the biggest barriers to their projects is students not having a place to store their toothbrush. They have suggested that the new school could provide a storage space for each student to house both their steel bottle and toothbrush.

5. Proposal and Implementation

5.1. It is proposed that a working group is formed, bringing together the suggested project partners and major stakeholders. All partners have expressed the desire to collaborate but the details of the partnership and project need to be further developed. The working group would comprise:

· Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Helen Burnet (travelled to Balibó).

· Councillor Bill Harvey (travelled to Balibó).

· Terry Bracks – EO of the Balibó House Trust.

· Dr Catherine Elliott - Volunteer for Bottle for Botol (previous Program Manager of B4B in Indonesia).

· Richard Warner – Chair of Crawford Fund (Tasmania).

· Chris Thompson – Senior Consultant – Macquarie Franklin.

· Ted Burton – Rotary Club Youngtown and a representative of Disaster Aid.

· Eoin Breen – representative of Dr Nitin Verma (Honorary Consul for Timor-Leste in Tasmania).

· Brian Doran – Representative of the Timor-Leste Friendship Group (Tasmania).

· Lucy Knott – City of Hobart Officer (travelled to Balibó).

5.2. The group will develop the details of the project (including costs, logistics, roles and responsibilities) which will be presented back to Council. The concept of the project will also be discussed with the Balibó community.

6. Strategic Planning and Policy Considerations

6.1. Supporting a relationship with Balibó is in line with the following Council strategies and action plans:

The community vision for Hobart endorsed by the Council in 2018:

We value pilgrimage – the choice to explore places beyond our island. Those who stay elsewhere take our culture to the world. Those who return bring new ideas and experiences with them, which we can use to enrich and evolve our own thinking.

We embrace those who have moved to Tasmania from elsewhere and work together for better economic outcomes.

Capital City Strategic Plan (2015 - 2025):

Support the Council’s existing sister city relationships with Yaizu, L’Aquila and Xi’an and respond to new opportunities.

The International Relations Action Plan endorsed by the Council in May 2016:

Commence investigations into a community development based relationship with a city in the Asia Pacific region.

7. Financial Implications

7.1. Funding Source and Impact on Current Year Operating Result

7.1.1. There will be no impact on the current year’s operating result as the full project will be scoped in this financial year.

7.2. Impact on Future Years’ Financial Result

7.2.1. Delivery of this project is expected to have a financial impact on future years. The exact costs are not yet known and will be presented to the Council in due course. It is anticipated that project partners will make financial and / or in-kind contributions to the project.

7.3. Asset Related Implications

7.3.1. The bottles would be expected to last for a number of years. They are made from stainless steel and are BPA free.

7.3.2. SkyHydrants utilise simple technology to filter water for 10 years without the need for chemicals, coagulants, pumps or energy. The cleaning process is simple and manual.

7.3.3. The project working group will provide more detailed information on assets in future reports.

8. Legal, Risk and Legislative Considerations

8.1. There is a risk that the children will continue to use single use plastic. This is why Bottle for Botol has been identified as a project partner. They have proven success in working with school children to change behaviours.

8.2. There are many stories in Timor-Leste of aid agencies delivering ‘solutions’ to communities without their buy in and with complex technology that could not be maintained or fixed. To mitigate against this, SkyHydrant is a low tech solution to water quality issues that has been delivered in a number of countries (including Timor-Leste) in the Asia Pacific region.

8.3. Buy in from the community can be difficult to secure, particularly given the distance between Hobart and Balibó and issues with communication. To mitigate this, the Balibó House Trust has been identified as a project partner. The Trust has a track record of delivery of successful projects in Balibó for the last 17 years. They are trusted by the community and understand how to work with them.

9. Environmental Considerations

9.1. One of the main drivers of this project is to reduce the amount of plastic waste in Balibó.

10. Social and Customer Considerations

10.1. This project enables community participation through schools in Hobart sponsoring bottles in Balibó.

11. Marketing and Media

11.1. There will be opportunities to promote this project through the City’s social media / City News and other external media channels.

12. Community and Stakeholder Engagement

12.1. The concept of this project has been discussed with potential partners and stakeholders who are supportive of bringing a working group together to consider the project in more detail.

13. Delegation

13.1. This matter is one for the Council.

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.

Lucy Knott

Economic Development Project Officer

Tim Short

Director Community Life

Date: 16 May 2019

File Reference: F19/53862

Attachment a: Attachment A: Photos of Balibo School and Village ⇩

Item No. 6.2

Agenda (Open Portion)

Economic Development & Communications Committee Meeting

Page 21

23/5/2019

REPORT TITLE: Business Events Tasmania Annual Funding Submission

REPORT PROVIDED BY: Economic Development Project Officer

Director Community Life

1. Report Purpose and Community Benefit

1.1. This report has two purposes:

· To present Business Events Tasmania’s performance against targets set out in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 2017-20 (Attachment A).

· To introduce Business Events Tasmania’s Funding Submission for the financial year 2019–20 (Attachment B) as presented by the CEO Marnie Craig.

1.2. The main goal of Business Events Tasmania (BET) is to attract business events to Tasmania, particularly during the off-peak season. The community benefits are year round vibrancy in the city and boost to the local economy associated with conference attendees (the highest spending type of visitor).

2. Report Summary

2.1. The City of Hobart has supported BET financially since 2009.

2.2. This support is based on the continued achievements of BET in attracting business events to Hobart.

2.3. This year is no exception with BET having secured in the 2018–19 financial year to date (9 May 2019) 69 confirmed pieces of future business, to be attended by 17,659 delegates (excluding partners) and with an estimated future economic worth of approximately $39.2 million.

2.4. BET is seeking $105,555 in support from the City of Hobart for the financial year 2019–20. This is a CPI (consumer price index) linked increase only on the $104,200 granted in 2018–19.

3. Recommendation

That:

1. The Council notes Business Events Tasmania’s funding submission for the financial year 2019–20.

2. The Council resolves to provide funding of $105,555 to Business Events Tasmania to be attributed to the Economic Development Budget Function of the 2019–20 Annual Plan.

4. Background

4.1. Business Events Tasmania (formerly known as the Tasmanian Convention Bureau) is the peak organisation for the business events sector in Tasmania.

4.2. BET’s primary role is to market Tasmania’s business events credentials nationally and internationally and work with local industry and event planners to bring business events to Tasmania.

4.3. The City of Hobart has supported BET for a number of years:

Summary of financial support
2009–10	$ 60,000
2010–11	$ 65,000
2011–12	$ 80,000
2012–13	$ 90,000
2013–14	$ 90,000
2014–15	$ 92,500
2015–16	$ 93,300 plus $6,700 for a feasibility study
2016–17	$100,000
2017–18	$102,300
2018–19	$104,200
2019–20	$105,555 requested

4.4. The relationship between BET and the City of Hobart is governed by the current MOU 2017-2020 (Attachment A).

4.5. The MOU acknowledges that business events bring significant revenue to Hobart and Tasmania each year and that Council and BET share common interests and benefits associated with this visitation.

4.6. It is the intention that by the Council providing funding and support, Hobart is promoted as a destination for business events. This is particularly important because those attending business events are the highest spending type of visitor and the potential exists for repeat visits from such conference and event delegates.

Recent research conducted for BET by Enterprise Marketing & Research Services (EMRS) found the average daily spend per delegate whilst attending a conference in Tasmania to be $672. These visitors also stay longer (6.1 nights on average) and 55 per cent of them intend to return to Tasmania for leisure in the next three years.

4.7. The main performance indicator in the current MOU is BET delivering against the bid win targets (as in the table below) in attracting conference and business events to Hobart. Note that the ‘number of BET wins (target)’ refers to the number of bids won in any given financial year, to be delivered in the future (bid wins and the staging of the conference / event is rarely in the same year).

Financial Year	CoH Funding	Number of BET Bid Wins (target)
2017–18	$102,300	70
2018–19	$104,200	72
2019–20	$105,555 (requested)	74

Currently as at 9 May 2019, BET has secured 69 bids against a target of 72 and is confident that the target will be met (57 bids are currently awaiting a decision).

Other achievements against the MOU in the financial year 2018–19 follow:

4.8. Aim: Jointly work to identify targeted business sectors that link to key areas of growth in Hobart and Tasmania e.g. domestic / international education, Antarctic Science and Southern Ocean, cultural and creative industries, medical research and the maritime sector:

This financial year Hobart has held the following events linking back to the key sectors listed above:

Business Event	Total Attendance	Economic Impact	Market Segment
Australian and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators Annual Conference 2018	350	$559,650.00	Science- Medical
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Conference 2018	180	$287,820.00	Health/ Pharmaceutical
Heads of Student Administration Conference 2018	100	$159,900.00	Education
Australian Health Economics Society Conference 2018	150	$159,900.00	Science- Medical
Aeromedical Society of Australasia Annual Conference 2018	150	$239,850.00	Science- Medical
Australian Rural & Remote Mental Health Symposium 2018	250	$399,750.00	Science- Medical
Australia and New Zealand Falls Prevention Society Conference 2018	400	$639,600.00	Science- Medical
National Rural Health Conference 2019	1200	$1,976,400.00	Science- Medical
Australian Ceramics Triennale 2019	400	$878,400.00	Cultural Development
Sweet Adelines Australia Annual Convention 2019	800	$1,317,600.00	Cultural Development

4.9. Aim: Building relationships – Aldermanic and Council officer attendance at BET presentations, bids, seminars and member functions:

Elected members and Council officers were invited to the BET Ambassador annual event hosted by the Premier Will Hodgman and BET member events held through the financial year. The Lord Mayor Councillor Anna Reynolds was invited to speak at the Hobart Christmas event held in Council owned location Collins Court. Member feedback was positive to the Lord Mayor’s speech and attendance at the event.

4.10. Aim: Collaboration on social media opportunities:

Throughout the 2018-19 financial year, BET has included social media posts promoting Hobart.

In late 2018, BET ran a successful sales campaign around the theme the ‘12 Days of Christmas’. The campaign focussed on Hobart and regional Tasmania’s major conferencing venues and service providers operating within the business events industry. Seven of the ‘12 days’ focussed on Hobart and southern Tasmania. Screen shots of this campaign can be seen in BET’s annual submission (Attachment B).

4.11. Aim: Digital presence of the TTIC and the City venues on the BET website and presence in the Planners’ Guide:

Hobart City received a full page advertisement in the BET Planners Guide, featured on page 26.

Promotion of Hobart is also dominant in BET’s website with each of the City’s venues featured:

· City Hall

· Town Hall

· Waterside Pavilion

· Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre

4.12. Aim: Ongoing promotion of the Council’s meeting venues / facilities through site inspections, familiarisations and bids:

BET has provided the City with four referrals, 11 service requests and three site inspections over the financial year. The BET Christmas event was held in Collins Court. The choice of this venue was to showcase to members a creative space that could be used to host events.

4.13. Aim: A member of the BET team to work with appropriate City of Hobart representative to assist in the creation of appropriate marketing collateral for city owned venues:

BET’s CEO recently organised a site tour of City venues for BET team members to refresh knowledge and engage with City of Hobart officers.

4.14. Aim: Hobart represented (in person or by BET) at strategic bids/ conferences:

BET attended Professional Conference Organiser (PCOA), Franchise Forum, Association Forum, AIME and PAICE.

Other Achievements

Achievements not explicitly listed in the MOU but noteworthy are:

4.15. Continue to grow the Tasmanian Ambassador Program:

Underpinning the program are twelve influential ambassadors who are leaders in their key industry sectors including the Antarctic and Southern Ocean and communication and technology. The ambassadors assist in promoting Tasmania on an international stage as a top class business event location.

4.16. Marketing and sustainability:

BET this year has moved to fully digitalised marketing and PR collateral and activities. This includes a more interactive on-line version of BET’s Planners’ Guide.

Annual Funding Submission 2019–20

4.17. BET has provided its Annual Funding Submission for the 2019–20 financial year (Attachment B). This document outlines BET’s performance to date for the 2018–19 financial year and targets for the upcoming financial year.

4.18. BET is requesting funding for the financial year 2019–20 of $105,555 which is a CPI increase only from 2018–19.

5. Proposal and Implementation

5.1. Should the Council support the recommendations in this report, arrangements will be made to provide the allocated funding for the financial year 2019–20 from the Economic Development Function.

Strategic Planning and Policy Considerations

5.2. The Council endorsed ‘Community Vision for our Island Capital’ sets out what our community want Hobart to be in the future. Continuing support for BET is in line with the following elements of the vision:

2.2.9 We welcome visitors, and we strike a balance between meeting the needs of tourists and the needs of our communities.

4.3.7 We embrace those who have moved to Tasmania from elsewhere and work together for better economic outcomes. We welcome new people into our culture, quality of life and opportunities for meaningful employment.

5.3. Continued financial support for BET meets a number of Strategic Directions, as outlined in the City of Hobart Capital City Strategic Plan 2015-25.

1.1 Partnerships with Government, the education sector and business create city growth.

1.2 Strong national and international relationships.

1.3 An enriched visitor experience.

6. Financial Implications

6.1. Funding Source and Impact on Current Year Operating Result

6.1.1. In the financial year 2018–19, the City of Hobart provided $104,200 funding for BET from the Economic Development Budget Function.

6.2. Impact on Future Years’ Financial Result

6.2.1. BET is seeking funding of $105,555 for the financial year
2019–20. This has been allocated in the budget of the Economic Development Unit.

6.3. Asset Related Implications

6.3.1. None.

7. Legal, Risk and Legislative Considerations

7.1. The nature of the relationship between the City of Hobart and BET is one of mutual understanding and collaboration. This relationship is governed by a MOU that is not legally binding.

8. Environmental Considerations

8.1. The City of Hobart asked BET to encourage conference organisers to adopt sustainable event management principles in 2017. BET’s response at that time was that as an organisation seeking to attract events to Tasmania, they were not well positioned to request organisers to adopt certain principles.

Under the new CEO Marnie Craig, over the last 12 months, BET has been working closely with the City of Hobart to identify ways to better encourage the conference and business events industry to move towards more sustainable event practices.

Discussions have been had locally with key venues about how they can improve their practices and this has led to direct contact between venues and the City of Hobart Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit.

BET has also launched a wider campaign to approximately 4,000 national business event planners, the details of which can be seen on page 10 of their funding submission.

9. Community and Stakeholder Engagement

9.1. Marnie Craig, CEO of Business Events Tasmania.

10. Delegation

10.1. This matter is one for the Council.

Lucy Knott

Economic Development Project Officer

Tim Short

Director Community Life

Date: 16 May 2019

File Reference: F19/44086

Attachment a: City of Hobart and Business Events Tasmania MOU 2017-2020 ⇩

Attachment b: Business Events Tasmania Annual Funding Submission 2019-20 ⇩

Item No. 6.3

Agenda (Open Portion)

Economic Development & Communications Committee Meeting

Page 50

23/5/2019

REPORT TITLE: International Relations Action Plan - Annual Progress Report

REPORT PROVIDED BY: Economic Development Project Officer

Director Community Life

1. Report Purpose and Community Benefit

1.1. The purpose of this report is to provide an account of all international relations activities undertaken by the City of Hobart over the last 12 months, in line with the Council endorsed International Relations Action Plan (IRAP).

1.2. The community benefit of this report is that it provides a summary of activities relating to international relations that have been completed over the last 12 months.

The activities were guided by the IRAP, a plan that was created specifically to ensure that community value is delivered by Hobart’s international relationships.

2. Report Summary

2.1. This report presents all activities delivered with the guidance of the International Relations Action Plan (IRAP) over the last 12 months.

2.2. It also summarises activities that occurred outside the parameters of the IRAP but were considered appropriate as they assisted significant partner organisations achieve their international engagement goals.

2.3. Traditionally this report has recommended changes to the IRAP based on a year of reflection and practical delivery. This year it is proposed that this is delayed.

Council on 1 April 2019 requested an appraisal of current relationships and investigation of new ones, it is likely therefore that the IRAP will change, but these changes will depend on which relationships the Council seeks to maintain and establish. The IRAP will therefore be reviewed at the point where Council has decided about existing and new relationships.

2.4. This report has also traditionally listed anticipated activities for the year coming. In response to the Council’s request to consider existing relationships, the potential pipeline of activity for each relationship will be covered in a report to Council later in the year.

3. Recommendation

That the Council receives the annual progress report against the current International Relations Action Plan 2018.

4. Background

4.1. The IRAP was first endorsed by the Council on 9 May 2016.

4.2. Each year the relevance and appropriateness of all elements of the IRAP is considered and suggested changes are presented to the Council.

4.3. The current version of the IRAP (as amended in 2018) is included in this report as Attachment A.

4.4. The City of Hobart has four formal international relationships and a relationship in development. These are:

- Sister City with Yaizu, Japan, established in 1977. The origins of this began with the tuna fishing fleets from Yaizu harbouring in Hobart during the 1960s and 1970s. Because of regular and long visits from the fishermen, business and personal connections started to form between Hobart and Yaizu. The relationship has continued to operate via cultural exchanges and student visits (the student exchange program will reach its 30^th year in July).

- Sister City with L’Aquila, Italy, established in 1997. This region is where the majority of the early Italian immigrants to Tasmania originated. Members of the local Hobart Abruzzese community initiated the development of this relationship and continue to be its driving force. Three generations of the Abruzzese community often come together to celebrate the links between the Abruzzo region and Hobart.

- Friendship City with Xi’an, China, established in 2015. The City of Xi’an is the ancient capital of China and home of the world famous Terracotta Army. Areas identified for cultural, knowledge and economic cooperation were science and technology, education, aquaculture, agriculture and tourism.

- Friendship City with Fuzhou, China, established in 2017. Fuzhou approached the City of Hobart to consider a friendship relationship. Fuzhou, like Hobart is a coastal city bordering a mountainous region. Fuzhou is the capital of the Fujian Province which has been Tasmania’s sister state since 1981. There is an active community in Hobart from the Fujian Province and a long relationship of cooperation between UTAS and Fuzhou’s Minjiang University.

The most significant difference between a ‘sister city’ and a ‘friendship city’ in these circumstances is that the friendship city agreements are not ongoing, they have a clause at five years that allows either city to leave the relationship.

4.5. The City of Hobart on 23 April 2018 resolved inter alia to commit to a long term relationship with the village of Balibó (in Timor-Leste). A report is on this agenda introducing a potential partnership project to deliver with the community in Balibó.

4.6. The City has very recently (1 April 2019) made two separate key decisions relating to international relationships, the first being inter alia:

That a further report be prepared that includes a strategic review and status updates of current sister and friendship city relationships.

In is anticipated that the report on current relationships will be presented to Economic Development and Communications Committee (EDCC) on 20 June and Council on 8 July.

4.7. The second decision made at Council on 1 April related to new relationships. Council resolved:

That a report be provided to investigate potential relationships between the City of Hobart and cities in India, Nepal and Fiji and other countries with established communities within Hobart.

This report on future relationships is anticipated to be presented to EDCC in the second half of the year. Timings will largely be dependent on the progress of research conducted with the assistance of local community groups with international links.

4.8. Major highlights of the year are listed in chronological order below. Key metrics from the IRAP are noted, as well as activities undertaken that lie outside the remit of the IRAP.

4.9. Activities outside of the IRAP were conducted because of the valuable contribution they made to the aims of partner organisations such as the Tasmanian Government and the University of Tasmania.

May 2018 – April 2019 Activities

4.10. June

· Hosting of small business delegation from Yaizu. Two representatives from the Maruhachi Muramatsu Group visited Hobart. In this group of businesses is the top company in Japan dealing with fish extracts and soup stock (dashi) – with a workforce of 500.

The representatives were interested to learn more about sustainable practices in aquaculture and so meetings were arranged with Tassal and Huon Aquaculture as well as a meeting with the Deputy Lord Mayor.

· Meeting with MoCo Dragons and Derwent Storms to discuss the potential of travelling to Fuzhou to take part in a dragon boat festival in June 2019.

This provides an opportunity for a cultural exchange between Hobart and Fuzhou. The China Dragon Boat Tournament has been hosted by Fuzhou annually since 2015 with the rights to this event ceasing in 2020.

This is China’s first International Dragon Boat Federation World Cup, a significant world class event that local Hobart dragon boaters would not be able to gain access to without the friendship city relationship.

· Lord Mayoral reception welcoming UTAS students from our friendship cities of Xi’an and Fuzhou. This reception was the first of its kind and was attended by approximately 15 students. It was very well received by the new students to the city and will help to maintain Hobart’s reputation as a friendly place.

4.11. July

· Seventeen students and two adults from Yaizu visited Hobart for a week and were hosted by Mount Carmel and St Virgil’s Colleges. This was coordinated by the City of Hobart and was the 29^th year of student exchange between Yaizu and Hobart. The City also coordinated a day excursion to Bonorong Park and Richmond Village for the Yaizu students and their host brothers / sisters. An afternoon tea reception was hosted by the Lord Mayor at the Town Hall, welcoming the Yaizu students and thanking their host families. The students also visited Government House.

This arrangement over the years has resulted in students from Hobart schools forming enduring friendships with students from Yaizu, continuing their studies of Japanese at University and working as English teachers in Yaizu.

4.12. August

· The Economic Development Officer was a guest speaker at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) China Workshop.

· The Mayor of Yaizu, a government delegation and the Yurikamome Children’s Choir totalling 30 people were hosted by the City for a period of 5 days. Events coordinated by the City included a formal lunch, two performances by the Yurikamome Choir, St Virgil’s and Mount Carmel choirs, a formal dinner and a visit to Bonorong Park and kunanyi / Mt Wellington for the choir.

The performances by the Yurikamome Choir were well attended and contributed positively to increasing awareness in the community of the City’s international relationships.

4.13. September

· Meeting with representatives of Disaster Aid International and Rotary Club Youngtown at the Rotary Conference to discuss Sky Hydrants (water filtration device) that may be used in Balibó.

4.14. October

· Meeting with Mr Cameron Parsons – Manager, Global Engagement (UTAS) to discuss current UTAS strategy and potential of City of Hobart hosting a reception to welcome students from Hobart’s four sister / friendship cities when they attend UTAS.

As of August 2018, 5,747 international students were studying at UTAS, 4,659 of whom are in the south of the state. This represents a significant direct economic spend and a significant opportunity for the community to benefit from cultural diversity.

It is therefore important that the City of Hobart utilises its international relationships as a means of attracting more students from that city or region.

· Attendance of Tasmanian Government (Department of State Growth) led Fujian Joint Committee Meeting. Mr Wu Xiaojie (Director of Fuzhou Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office) was in attendance. Mr Wu’s team is responsible for the maintenance of the Hobart – Fuzhou friendship city relationship.

· Opening of the Antarctic Season Reception hosted by the City of Hobart at Hadley’s Orient Hotel by the Lord Mayor. Approximately 200 people attended, including members of the French Antarctic team, Italian expeditioners, City of Hobart International Student Ambassadors and international member states of CCAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources).

According to the latest research commissioned by the Tasmanian Polar Network, the Antarctic and Southern Ocean sector contributes $180M per annum to the Tasmanian economy. The City of Hobart recognises the value of this sector by organising the Antarctic Reception to honour the out bound expeditioners. This assists partners such as Antarctic Tasmania (a dedicated unit within the Tasmanian Government) and the Tasmanian Polar Network in fulfilling their objectives around engagement with the Australian and other national Antarctic programs.

· Meeting with Mr Edgar Tiravanti of the Argentinian Embassy (Australia) to discuss the Antarctic Gateway City status of Hobart and Ushuaia and potential joint working.

4.15. November

· An intern through the UTAS I-Prep program was hosted for a total of 50 hours in November and December. I-Prep is a work preparation program for international students and humanitarian visa holders to better equip them for their future working lives. The intern worked on a series of tasks including assisting with the Christmas Pageant, data entry, shadowing of the Economic Development Project Officer and creating a step by step guide for volunteers at the Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre.

· The Economic Development Officer travelled to Fuzhou to participate in a ‘Glimpse of Fuzhou’ seminar series, city familiarisation, Tourism Festival and discussions with 11 of Fuzhou’s current or prospective friendship cities.

One of the valuable outcomes of the visit was that a number of projects with Fuzhou were advanced by virtue of face to face conversations. These included a Greater Hobart dragon boat team taking part in a festival in Fuzhou, a local youth soccer team participating in a tournament in Fuzhou and Fuzhou considering involvement in a future Australian Wooden Boat Festival.

A summary of the visit was reported to Economic Development and Communications Committee on 24 January 2019.

4.16. January 2019

· Coordinated by the Tasmanian Polar Network, visit to the Umitaka Maru (Japanese Antarctic research vessel). Attendance at events such as these are a strong demonstration to visiting nations that Hobart values it’s Antarctic gateway status and that it is a friendly port to visit and re-fuel / stock up before heading south.

· Meeting with the Director of the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens (RTBG) to discuss the potential of an exchange of horticulturalists (RTBG and Yaizu). A number of horticulturalists came to Hobart as part of the 40^th anniversary of the relationship. The team from Yaizu worked in the Japanese garden in the RTBG and the RTBG learned a great deal about how to care for the garden moving forward.

Discussions were also had about how the City’s relationships in China could unlock horticultural expertise to enable the RTBG to develop their Chinese gardens.

4.17. February

· The City hosted a delegation of six from Fuzhou. The key aim was for the delegates to witness and understand the Australian Wooden Boat Festival (AWBF) and to discuss with the organisers the potential of China being a feature nation in 2021 / 2023.

The delegates also visited South Hobart Football Club (SHFC) to discuss a team travelling to Fuzhou later in the year to take part in a sister city soccer tournament.

The City coordinated a tour of the festival, formal meeting with festival organiser, meeting with the Deputy Lord Mayor and meeting with South Hobart Football Club.

Since the visit, SHFC and Fuzhou government have been in direct contact and are discussing the best time for the soccer festival. Fuzhou has also followed up with additional questions about the AWBF and the City continues to assist communications with the organiser.

· The Lord Mayor received the first group of 11 students and two teachers to travel from Xi’an, visiting the Hutchins school with whom a relationship is being developed. A student from the group gave a speech communicating the highlights of the visit and it was clear that the group were delighted to meet the Lord Mayor and other elected members and tour the Town Hall.

The City of Hobart facilitated the relationship between Hutchins and the Xi’an Foreign Language School through its government counterparts in Xi’an. The City was able to open doors by virtue of its government status that Hutchins could not have achieved alone. It is clear that the City is able to create significant value in facilitating school to school relations in China and adding to the visiting student experience by hosting them at the Town Hall.

· Meeting with Antarctic Tasmania (Tasmanian Government) to discuss their meetings with the New Zealand Antarctic Gateway City (Christchurch). Discussions were also had about the COMNAP and SCAR international conferences taking place in Hobart in August 2020 and what the City could do to receive the international visitors and mark the importance of the events.

4.18. March

· Discussion with Dr Nitin Verma (Honorary Consul for Timor-Leste in Tasmania) and the Timor-Leste Friendship Network about a potential project to scope for the village of Balibó.

· Meeting with RMIT to discuss the City’s international relations program. This was to provide case study content for the Australia China Council funded project ‘Sister City Partnerships: Building Australia-China Economic, Cultural and Educational Exchange’.

Support was also provided to the RMIT project team in the form of meeting rooms and key community contacts in the city’s from Hobart’s sister / friendship cities for interview as part of the project.

· Funding bid submitted to the Australia – Japan Foundation. This is to create a film documentary of a facilitated literary visual artwork collaboration between visiting Yaizu students and their host brother / sister during the July 2019 visit. This project will examine feelings associated with the visit and explore cultural similarities and differences between the students. The aims of the project are to create a highly shareable output promoting the existence and benefits of the sister city relationship. The project through participation by the students also seeks to deepen their bonds of friendship and increase wider bilateral understanding.

4.19. April

· A group of five Timorese veterans, government officials and approximately 100 seasonal workers took part in Hobart’s Anzac Day service and march. They were also received by the Deputy Lord Mayor and taken on a tour of the Town Hall.

4.20. May

· The City of Hobart hosted its inaugural ‘Children’s Day’ celebration in the Japanese Gardens within the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. Children’s Day is a significant festival in Japan and this occasion was used to increase the profile of the Hobart-Yaizu sister city relationship. Over 400 school children contributed decorations and performances that were attended by a further 200 people.

Antarctic Gateway Cities Project

4.21. Regular meetings and email exchanges have occurred over the last 12 months between officers involved in the University of Western Sydney and UTAS led Antarctic Gateway Cities Project. The City of Hobart has committed $20,000 per annum cash and $20,000 in kind per annum for the three years 2016 – 2019.

This project presents the City of Hobart with an opportunity to explore whether there is an appetite to re-establish the Antarctic Gateway Cities Group for the purposes of sharing information between all gateway cities (Ushuaia, Punta Arenas, Christchurch, Cape Town and Hobart).

Outputs from this project will include a connectedness index that can be used by any place to appraise its connectivity with Antarctica. This will be immensely useful to Hobart and Tasmania in appraising the current relationship with Antarctica and areas in which this can be strengthened. An online game is also being developed that will engage and connect young people from all five global gateway cities with Antarctica and each other.

A workshop is being planned for October 2019 with Council staff to communicate potential uses of the outputs of this project.

The project team is currently in Punta Arenas in Chile (one of the 5 global Antarctic gateway cities). The Lord Mayor has taken advantage of this connection to send a hand delivered letter inviting the Mayor of Punta Arenas to Hobart during the August 2020 Antarctic conferences to discuss collaboration.

It is hoped that the Mayors of Cape Town, Christchurch and Ushuaia will also attend, the first time in 10 years that the Mayors of all Antarctic Gateway Cities have gathered.

Other Meetings and Events

Officers attend the following meetings / events in relation to the City’s international relationships:

4.22. Six of the monthly Abruzzese Association Committee meetings per year to discuss the sister city relationship and provide information on activities taking place in Hobart’s other international relationships through the year.

4.23. Hobart – Yaizu Sister City Committee. The City of Hobart coordinates this meeting approximately quarterly. This meeting occurs more often in the build-up to the visit from students travelling from Yaizu in July.

4.24. Quarterly meetings with Mr Jason Xu - Executive Chairman of the Australia Fujian Association Tasmania.

4.25. UTAS hosted lectures which this year have included:

4.25.1. Facilitating Chinese Tourism in Tasmania through UTAS students and academics.

4.25.2. ‘Pivot to India: Why Australia’s relationship with the subcontinent needs to step up.’ Delivered by Senator Lisa Singh.

Activities not listed in the IRAP

4.26. May 2018 – A group of 27 students from Papua New Guinea (PNG) were given a tour of the Town Hall, the Franklin Square redevelopment project, guidance on City of Hobart project management principles and a presentation of the work of the City of Hobart as a local government.

The students were from a blend of government, corporate and not for profit sectors. This initiative is funded by DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Federal Government).

The City of Hobart has an involvement in this visit as a means of assisting DFAT achieve their objectives in this area. This also promotes the learnings and achievements of the City of Hobart in the project management space over recent years to an international audience.

Metrics

Key metrics from the international relations action plan (IRAP) relating to international students are included below and are underpinned by the following data:

Deloitte Access Economics in 2014 estimated that international students spend on average per annum $42,531 of which 50 per cent is spent in the local economy. This does not include the value to the economy of visiting family and friends.

Long stay students

4.27. Number of students at UTAS: 36 from Fuzhou, 54 from Xi’an. This is an increase of 33 per cent and 17 per cent from last year.

As per the Deloitte Access Economics Study mentioned previously, these students represent a spend in the local economy of over
$1.9 million in the 2018–19 year.

4.28. Number of international students at Tasmanian Government Schools: Fujian Province as of 25 March 2019 = 13. This represents a spend of over $275,000 in the local economy.

4.29. Number of international students at Tasmanian Government Schools:
Shaanxi Province as of 25 March 2019 = 2. This represents a spend in the local economy of over $42,000.

4.30. Number of international students in vocational education and training:
Fujian Province: 3 (spend of over = $64,000).
Shaanxi Province: 4 representing a local spend of over $85,000.

4.31. Based on the Deloitte report, it can be estimated that international students from both Xi’an and Fuzhou provide over $2.3M in terms of direct spend into the local economy.

5. Proposal and Implementation

5.1. It is proposed that the Council receives the annual progress report against the current International Relations Action Plan.

6. Strategic Planning and Policy Considerations

6.1. Delivery against the IRAP is in line with the community vision for Hobart endorsed by the Council in 2018:

4.3.6 We value pilgrimage – the choice to explore places beyond our island. Those who stay elsewhere take our culture to the world. Those who return bring new ideas and experiences with them, which we can use to enrich and evolve our own thinking.

4.3.7 We embrace those who have moved to Tasmania from elsewhere and work together for better economic outcomes.

6.2. Delivery against the current IRAP and continued improvement with respect to the way in which the City of Hobart measures the value of its international relationships is in line with the following Council strategy:

Capital City Strategic Plan (2015 - 2025) Goal 1 - Economic Development, Vibrancy and Culture “City growth vibrancy and culture comes when everyone participates in city life”:

1.1.2 Support the University of Tasmania’s continued growth within the city.

1.1.5 Implement the City of Hobart’s Economic Development Strategy.

1.1.6 Develop relationships with other cultural and educational institutions as opportunities arise.

1.2.2 Partner with stakeholders to promote Hobart as a safe and culturally receptive city with a quality urban and natural environment.

1.2.3 Develop a policy position on international relations.

1.2.4 Support the Council’s existing sister city relationships with Yaizu, L’Aquila and Xi’an and respond to new opportunities.

7. Financial Implications

7.1. Funding Source and Impact on Current Year Operating Result

7.1.1. The actions for the 2018–19 year have been incorporated into the Economic Development budget.

7.1.2. The approved 2018 – 19 budget for the international program, comprised $0 for visits and $65,500 for hosting.

7.2. Impact on Future Years’ Financial Result

7.2.1. International relations activities are being considered as part of the 2019 -20 budget approval process.

8. Legal, Risk and Legislative Considerations

8.1. The International Relations Action Plan is a non-binding document. The nature of friendship / sister city relationships are also non-binding.

9. Environmental Considerations

9.1. The environmental impact of aviation cannot be disputed, with air travel contributing significant greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change.

Trips combining visits to a number of cities reduce the necessity for multiple long haul flights which is an economy of scale economically and environmentally.

9.2. The friendship cities of Xi’an and Fuzhou have expressed the desire to examine ways in which they can learn from some of the exemplar environmental practices in Tasmania around generation of energy and the protection of the environment.

9.3. Balibó is interested in learning from Hobart’s waste and recycling practices.

10. Social and Customer Considerations

10.1. It is of social importance that the City of Hobart fosters a diverse selection of international relationships based on geography, industry and nature of outcomes (community, culture, economic).

10.2. The City establishing international relationships facilitates a broader local understanding and appreciation for different cultures and communities.

10.3. Fostering these relationships is also a powerful and respectful message to people within the community who have close cultural ties with the cities in question.

10.4. The community may question the value of international relations if the City of Hobart does not continue to continuously consider the way in which it measures and reports this information and involves the community in maximising opportunities arising.

11. Marketing and Media

11.1. The City has developed a visual logo to represent each relationship which is used when hosting inbound delegations and in social media / website posts.

11.2. The Economic Development Unit alongside the Communications and Marketing Division have been investigating opportunities to display the logos on a wider range of marketing collateral, in Hobart and internationally.

11.3. The Communications and Marketing Division prepare and circulate press releases during key visits to and from Hobart’s sister / friendship cities.

11.4. A number of innovative and interesting ideas in relation to Hobart’s international program have come from the community to date. It is therefore paramount that community awareness of these relationships continues to be increased.

12. Community and Stakeholder Engagement

12.1. The IRAP was amended in 2017 following consultation with:

- Hobart Chamber of Commerce

- Officer of the Fuzhou Foreign and Overseas Affairs Office

- Tasmania China Business Association

- Department of State Growth (Tasmanian Government)

- Austrade

- Australia China Business Council (Tasmania)

12.2. By their very nature, the City’s international relationships require community and stakeholder engagement to ensure their vitality. A number of community groups and stakeholders contribute to the City’s international program, including:

- The Hobart-Yaizu Sister City Committee

- The Australia Fujian Association (Tasmania Branch)

- The Department of State Growth (Tasmanian Government)

- The University of Tasmania

- Government Education and Training International (Tasmanian Government)

- The Abruzzese Association

- The Timor-Leste Friendship Network

13. Delegation

13.1. This matter is one for the Council.

Lucy Knott

Economic Development Project Officer

Tim Short

Director Community Life

Date: 16 May 2019

File Reference: F19/38606

Item No. 6.4

Agenda (Open Portion)

Economic Development & Communications Committee Meeting

Page 64

23/5/2019

REPORT TITLE: Community Conversations and Listening Posts Program

REPORT PROVIDED BY: Community Engagement Advisor

Manager Future, Engaged and Active Communities

Director Community Life

1. Report Purpose and Community Benefit

1.1. The purpose of this report is to present the Council with the program of Community Conversations and Listening Posts, a key action of the City of Hobart Community Engagement Framework, and seek endorsement of the program.

1.2. The Community Conversations and Listening Posts will deliver a consistent and best practice approach to community engagement for the Council in line with the International Association for Public Participation Australasia (IAP2) guidelines for engagement.

1.3. The community will benefit from a program of face-to-face opportunities to engage with the City on a range of projects and services relevant to their suburb and interests.

2. Report Summary

2.1. Two of the key face-to-face methods to engage with the community outlined in the Community Engagement Framework are proposed to commence in the second half of 2019.

2.2. Local Community Conversations and Listening Posts will offer the opportunity for the community to meet City of Hobart officers and Elected Members to discuss a range of projects and topics relevant to them.

Community Conversations

2.3. The Community Engagement Framework (endorsed October 2018) states that: “The City of Hobart hosts community conversations throughout its local neighbourhoods, providing residents with information about key projects and services happening in their backyard, and offering an opportunity to interact with City of Hobart staff and aldermen.”

2.4. It is proposed that the Community Conversations commence in the second half of 2019, held in eight locations, one to two times per year, on a week night from 5.30 - 7.30 pm.

2.5. The proposed locations for the Community Conversations are:

· South Hobart / Fern Tree / Ridgeway

· Sandy Bay / Dynnyrne

· New Town / Lenah Valley

· West Hobart / Mt Stuart

· Glebe / Queens Domain

· Mt Nelson / Tolmans Hill

· Battery Point / Salamanca

· North Hobart / CBD

2.6. The community conversations will be run in a casual discussion style format rather than a formal meeting using contemporary community engagement techniques.

2.7. In the first half of the conversation representatives from relevant Divisions will be invited to provide information on key Council projects and address key topics relevant to the area, including traffic/roads, parks, planning, waste, community development etc. In the second half, community engagement methodologies will be used to reset the relationship and “conversation” with the community.

2.8. The conversations will provide a conduit between the community and the Council, offering a platform for the Council to present projects to directly affected communities, as well as an opportunity for the community to raise issues of their own. Meetings will be open to all community members rather than limited to a formalised committee or member base.

2.8.1. Members of locally based committees hosted by the City, such as Local Area Traffic Committees will be invited to join Community Conversations to discuss a broad range of topics.

Listening Posts

2.9. The Framework states that: “The City of Hobart hosts listening posts in public spaces to give the community an opportunity to speak with City of Hobart staff face-to-face, learn about projects, provide feedback and log issues for action by the City. Listening Posts are also used on specific projects to enable the community to talk to City of Hobart officers about site specific work.”

2.10. It is proposed that the program of listening posts commence in late 2019 after the Community Conversations are underway.

2.11. Listening Posts will provide another opportunity for face-to-face interaction with Council Community Engagement staff and capture members of the community that are unlikely to attend a Community Conversation or forum.

2.12. Listening Posts will be held at a variety of locations such as sporting fields, shopping precincts or as part of local events. They will consist of a ‘pop-up’ style stall manned by Council engagement staff to disseminate information on Council projects relevant to the area offering the opportunity to provide feedback, ask questions and log issues for action by the Council.

2.13. The program of Community Conversations will be evaluated and reviewed after a year, through participant survey, interviews and peer review.

3. Recommendation

That:

1. The Council endorse the Community Conversations and Listening Posts program to commence in late 2019.

2. The Community Conversations and Listening Posts program be reviewed and evaluated after the first year of the program.

4. Background

4.1. At its meeting held on 13 July 2015 the Council resolved inter alia the following:

“That: 1. The Council endorse a review of its Community Engagement Framework, commencing in the second quarter of 2015/2016.

(i) A comprehensive range of research and community engagement activities be undertaken as part of the review involving the Council and the community.

(ii) Following the review, the Council be provided with a further report on the outcomes and a draft updated Community Engagement Framework.”

4.2. Further to this report, at its meeting held on 5 December 2016 the Council resolved:

“That the Council endorse the detailed methodology outlined in the report attached to item 6.1 of the Open Governance Committee agenda of 29 November 2016, being used as the basis for the review of the Council’s Community Engagement Framework.”

4.3. Over the next 20 months, officers reviewed the previous Community Engagement Framework to provide a contemporary, values-driven framework that responds to the expectations of the community in relation to how the Council involves them in decision making.

4.4. The draft Community Engagement Framework was presented and discussed at an Aldermanic workshop on 29 May 2018 and has been the subject of an internal consultation process.

4.4.1. Following the discussion at the Aldermanic workshop, some minor amendments were made to the document.

4.5. The draft Community Engagement Framework was presented to the Economic Development and Communications Committee on 21 June 2018. At its meeting on 9 July 2018 the Council resolved the following:

“That: 1. The results of the community engagement review be received and noted.

2. The Council endorse the Draft City of Hobart Community Engagement Framework for public release for the purposes of community engagement.”

4.6. The final Community Engagement Framework was presented to the Economic Development and Communications Committee on 20 September 2018. At its meeting on October the Council resolved the following:

“That: 1. The results of the consultation on the draft Community Engagement Framework be received and noted.

2. The Council endorse the final Community Engagement Framework as shown as Attachment A to this report to guide the City of Hobart’s work in relation to community engagement practice in the future.”

5. Proposal and Implementation

5.1. It is proposed that the program of Community Conversations and Listening Posts be received and noted and that the Council endorse the program ahead of dates being scheduled, publicised and logistics organised.

5.2. Once the program is endorsed, dates will be set that don’t coincide with Open Council or Committee meetings, venues booked and the program promoted through the City’s channels of communication.

6. Strategic Planning and Policy Considerations

6.1. The actions from the Community Engagement Framework are strongly aligned with the Capital City Strategic Plan 2015-2025, in particular:

“Goal 5 - Governance

Strategic Objective 5.4 - An engaged civic culture where people feel part of decision-making.

5.4.1 - Implement best practice community engagement (IAP2) across the organisation

5.4.3 - Further enhance engagement activities with the community.

5.4.4 - Engage with the community through a variety of communication methods and marketing.”

7. Financial Implications

7.1. Funding Source and Impact on Current Year Operating Result

7.1.1. There is no financial implication to the current year operating budget as a result of this report.

7.2. Impact on Future Years’ Financial Result

7.2.1. The costs incurred for delivering the program of Community Conversations and Listening posts will be funded through existing operational budgets.

7.3. Asset Related Implications

7.3.1. There are no asset related implications.

8. Legal, Risk and Legislative Considerations

8.1. The implementation of the Community Engagement Framework and engagement activities will contribute to the mitigation of the Council’s strategic risk of failing to meet and respond to community and stakeholder needs and aspirations.

9. Social and Customer Considerations

9.1. The continuous development of the City’s community engagement practices and capacity building for staff will increase the opportunities for members of the community to participate equally - socially, culturally, economically, physically and/or politically in Council decision making.

9.2. Enhancing opportunities for community engagement will allow the Council to be proactive rather than reactive on issues that the community feel strongly about, leading to better community outcomes.

10. Marketing and Media

10.1. A communications and marketing plan will be delivered to advertise and promote the program of Community Conversations and Listening Posts in each location.

11. Community and Stakeholder Engagement

11.1. The program of Community Conversations and Listening Posts is in direct response to findings from the review of the Community Engagement Framework in 2016-17. The Community Conversations format is supported through the results of the review consultation in which 78 per cent of respondents indicated that they would be “interested in attending a community meeting in my local area on occasion, when a particular issue was of interest to me.”

11.2. The resulting actions and recommendations stemming from this review will provide greater opportunities for future community engagement practice for the organisation.

11.3. Following Council approval the final program of Community Conversations and Listening Posts would be promoted to the community through the Community Life Division’s networks.

12. Delegation

12.1. This report is delegated to the Council.

Louisa Gordon

Community Engagement Advisor

Luke Doyle

Manager Future, Engaged and Active Communities

tims short

Tim Short

Director Community Life

Date: 15 May 2019

File Reference: F19/54753; 17/59

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