New polling supports local government intervention
The Property Council of Australia has released recent figures showing half the greater Hobart community supports the state government intervening in the running of the Glenorchy City Council, and the majority support a merger to create a Greater Hobart Council.
An EMRS survey of some 600 people in the greater Hobart area showed per cent of respondents supported a government intervention into the running of Glenorchy City Council. The remainder of respondents were unsure (24 per cent) or disagreed (27 per cent).
Tasmanian Executive Director, Brian Wightman, said for those who stated they ‘disagreed’ with a Glenorchy intervention almost twice as many said they ‘agreed’.
“Given these figures, it is fair to assume these results would improve if respondents answering ‘unsure’ were given further information into the current situation in Glenorchy and what an intervention would mean for the council,” Mr. Wightman said.
“If the government needed to know the community supported it taking action over council mergers in Hobart, then some 56 per cent support for the creation of Greater Hobart Council should be of assistance, especially given only approximately one third (32 per cent) disagreed, while some 11 per cent were uncertain.
“Local support for a Greater Hobart Council only further demonstrates the need for change.
“The Property Council has been polling the issue with EMRS consistently since 2010 and there continues to be strong support for council reform in Tasmania.”
Mr. Wightman said more than three quarters of respondents (77 per cent) support a comprehensive review into the number of councils in Tasmania.
“Again, the majority of respondents (70 per cent) also agreed 29 councils for a population of 510,000 people was too many.
“The community wants it, the state government wants it and many of the councils have expressed a desire for it to happen. There has been no better time than the present to take action on the issue of reform of local government,” he said.
The results at a glance:
Do you think 29 councils in Tasmania for a population 510,000 is too many, the right amount or not enough?
|
Too many |
70% |
|
The right amount |
20% |
|
Not enough |
1% |
|
Unsure/ it depends |
9% |
Do you agree or disagree that the State Government should conduct a comprehensive review of how many councils there are in Tasmania?
|
TOTAL AGREE |
77% |
|
Strongly agree |
49% |
|
Somewhat agree |
28% |
|
TOTAL DISAGREE |
16% |
|
Somewhat disagree |
8% |
|
Strongly disagree |
8% |
|
Unsure/ it depends |
7% |
If the State Government decided to intervene in the running of the Glenorchy City Council, would you agree or disagree with such a decision?
|
TOTAL AGREE |
% |
|
Strongly agree |
26% |
|
Somewhat agree |
23% |
|
TOTAL DISAGREE |
27% |
|
Somewhat disagree |
13% |
|
Strongly disagree |
14% |
|
Unsure/ it depends |
24% |
Do you agree or disagree that councils in your region should be merged to create a Greater Hobart Council?
|
TOTAL AGREE |
56% |
|
Strongly agree |
40% |
|
Somewhat agree |
16% |
|
TOTAL DISAGREE |
32% |
|
Somewhat disagree |
15% |
|
Strongly disagree |
17% |
|
Unsure/ it depends |
11% |
Media contact: Brian Wightman |M 0429 073 773 |E [email protected]