News from Council Meeting - 10 August 2020

Published on 10 August 2020

City of Hobart Council tonight approved plans to transform the capital this Christmas with city centre entertainment and block parties in the city and the suburbs.

The move will see up to $100,000 spent activating retail precincts across the city, in a bid to support retailers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funds have been re-allocated from the traditional Myer Hobart Christmas Pageant, which will not go ahead this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The Pageant usually attracts around 2500 participants and up to 30,000 spectators.

The Council also agreed that an additional $75,000 would be allocated for Christmas carol events over the festive season.

“Retailers have told us that activation of the city is a way City of Hobart can support local traders through the COVID recovery,” Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said.

“That is why we are planning an entertainment program in the city centre and block parties in the city and the suburbs with traders coming together to create events around their shops.

“It will certainly be a Christmas to remember with the City making funding available to support wonderful community events in retail precincts all over Hobart.”

Traders will be encouraged to jointly submit ideas for activating their shopping area in the lead-up to Christmas. City staff will then work with the trader groups to further develop and implement their ideas.

Further information on how to a make a submission will be available soon.

The Council has endorsed the creation of a COVID-19 economic recovery framework and action plan to guide the recovery process.

The Council also agreed that a COVID-19 economic recovery business consultative group will be established to provide feedback on recovery efforts.

In 2019, Hobart’s Gross Regional Product was estimated at $7.722 million – an increase of 6.4 per cent on the previous year. As a result of the pandemic, it is estimated that 5149 (8.3 per cent) of jobs in the city have been lost. This figure is 8599 jobs (13.9 per cent) when including those supported by the JobKeeper program.

The Council also agreed to write to the Premier seeking details of the Tasmanian Government’s plan for reopening of the economy.

In other news from the meeting, a motion from Alderman Zucco was agreed that will see City of Hobart develop a report that could lead to a policy for all future contracts, consultants and other major Council expenditures to be from Tasmanian based business for the next two years.

Approximately 98 per cent of the City’s contracts are already held by local businesses and the City is also currently considering a Buy Local Procurement Policy.