2016-2017 Budget

Consultation has concluded

This engagement is now closed.

The City of Hobart is starting to prepare its 2016/17 budget.

As part of our budget preparation, we want you to participate by sharing your thoughts on what matters most to you.

Why not take the budget challenge and show us how you would balance the City of Hobart's 2016/17 operational budget? The budget simulator tool will allow you to adjust spending on particular things and see how your choices impact on services delivered and ultimately, your rates.

If you want, you can jump straight into the budget challenge. If you want more information about the Council’s budget process and why we are seeking your feedback before you take the challenge, refer to the Frequently Asked Questions and Related Documents tabs. You can find detailed information about Council's services and programs below.

Feedback received will be collated and provided to the Council so we can gain an understanding of the services and programs you value most. This will guide our current and future budget decisions, in the context of the Council's Capital City Strategic Plan 2015-2025 and Long-Term Financial Management Plan 2016-2036


For background information on this project please read through the information available under the Related Documents tab. The outcome reports for this engagement are available under the engagement progress tab.


This engagement is now closed.

The City of Hobart is starting to prepare its 2016/17 budget.

As part of our budget preparation, we want you to participate by sharing your thoughts on what matters most to you.

Why not take the budget challenge and show us how you would balance the City of Hobart's 2016/17 operational budget? The budget simulator tool will allow you to adjust spending on particular things and see how your choices impact on services delivered and ultimately, your rates.

If you want, you can jump straight into the budget challenge. If you want more information about the Council’s budget process and why we are seeking your feedback before you take the challenge, refer to the Frequently Asked Questions and Related Documents tabs. You can find detailed information about Council's services and programs below.

Feedback received will be collated and provided to the Council so we can gain an understanding of the services and programs you value most. This will guide our current and future budget decisions, in the context of the Council's Capital City Strategic Plan 2015-2025 and Long-Term Financial Management Plan 2016-2036


For background information on this project please read through the information available under the Related Documents tab. The outcome reports for this engagement are available under the engagement progress tab.


Consultation has concluded
  • Parks, Reserves and Recreation (including the Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre)

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    The City of Hobart manages and maintains an extensive and unique open space system of parks, gardens, bushland reserves, sports fields, recreational facilities and streetscapes.




    This includes:

    • Conservation of Hobart’s unique natural and cultural heritage bushland areas, looking after around 4500 hectares of bushland.

    • The provision of a wide range of open space services and recreational facilities and programs to the community, including the successful Bush Adventures program and coordinating and facilitating the Bushcare volunteer program.

    • Maintenance of 130 park and playgrounds.

    • Maintenance of 19 sports fields

    It operates an industry-accredited Nursery at Mornington that maintains plant stocks of trees, shrubs and seedlings for Hobart’s parks and gardens.

    The City of Hobart is also committed to the provision of a diverse range of recreational facilities and services. We have numerous high-quality sports ovals as well as sporting venues of State significance.

    The Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre, situated on the Domain, is the largest aquatic facility in Tasmania. The Centre offers a unique experience to residents and visitors to Hobart that includes:

    • Olympic size pool

    • Large modern gym

    • Wide variety of classes, including a highly- subscribed Learn to Swim program

    • Spa, sauna and steam room

    • A range of services including child minding.


  • Community Development

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    Through its community development function, the Council delivers a variety of services and programs for older people, young people, children and families, people with disabilities and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

    It is responsible for a number of community facilities, including the Youth Arts and Recreation Centre and Mathers House, as well as a neighbourhood halls; delivers a community grants program, citizenship ceremonies and has a key role in community safety in the city.

  • City Planning

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    The Council is the planning authority for the Hobart municipal area. The City Planning function provides assessment services to ensure that planning, plumbing and building applications are consistent with legislative and regulatory requirements and do not adversely impact on the amenity and heritage of Hobart.



    Activities undertaken by the City Planning function include:

    • Assessment of development applications against the requirements of the Hobart Interim Planning Scheme 2015 and the Sullivans Cove Planning Scheme 1997.

    • Assistance in assessing planning applications with heritage implications and promoting awareness of Hobart's heritage.

    • Assessment and inspections associated with applications to carry out regulated plumbing works.

    • Compliance actions for instances of unlawful or unacceptable building and plumbing works.


    This function area is also actively engaged in climate change action at the corporate, community and regional levels. Key spheres of action are mitigation - reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and adaptation - making changes in order to moderate, cope or take advantage of climate change impacts.

    The main climate change activity within this function area is that of coordinating the preparation of key strategies, plans and policy, participation in regional initiatives and community-based activities.

  • Economic Development, Tourism, Arts and Events

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    The Council's economic development, tourism, arts and events functions provide for the promotion of Hobart as a destination of choice and a place of business.

    Economic development seeks to actively engage with business; facilitate quality development and investment; establish the City’s role in support of the retail sector; attract students and international visitors, and contribute to the City economy through international relationships.

    The tourism and event functions include the operation of the Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre in Hobart, marketing of the City, Salamanca Market and is responsible for some of the State’s best known events, including the annual Taste of Tasmania and community events including, the Hobart Christmas Pageant and Carols by Candlelight.

    The arts function develops and supports a range of programs and activities to enhance the cultural life of Hobart. These include the public art program, City of Hobart Art Prize and the cultural programs of Young Writers in the City, Pop-Up Creative Hobart, Cultural Hobart Creative Forums.

  • Corporate Operations

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    The Council's corporate operations function provides a range of internal and external services and programs including customer services, Executive and Aldermanic support, corporate administration, information and communication technology, information and records management, work health and safety, human resources and payroll.

    The Council comprises 12 elected representatives, who are the decision making and direction setting arm of the Council. In support of that role is the administration of the Council, led by the General Manager who is supported by the Executive Leadership Team in the implementation of Council decisions and policies.

    The team comprises the General Manager and the Director of each of the six Divisions of Council. The Council workforce consists of 585 full time equivalent staff who work to deliver services and programs to the community.

    Corporate Operations activities include:

    • Delivering of the Council's Customer Service Centre
    • Aldermanic support and administering Council and Committee meetings
    • Management of the Council's portfolio of insurances
    • The provision of risk management
    • The coordination of internal and external audits and quality control
    • The provision of legal services
    • The provision of human resource services to the organisation
    • The provision of workplace health and safety advice and support
    • The provision of payroll services
    • The provision of information and records management systems
    • The provision of information and communication technology services
  • Strategic Planning and Finance

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    The Council's strategic planning and finance functions provide a variety of internal and external services.

    Strategic planning includes comprehensive strategic and operational planning, the development and implementation of a planning and reporting framework.

    Financial services include the development and implementation of the Council's Long-Term Financial Management Plan; maintaining ratepayer records and managing the invoicing and receipting of rates revenue; procurement and contract services to ensure that purchases made are achieving best value for money; managing accounts payable and receivable; managing the Council's loan and investment portfolios, and provision of financial accounting, budget development and external reporting services.


  • Environmental Health and Animal Management

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    The Council delivers a number of programs and services through its environmental health and animal management functions.

    The environmental health program provides inspection and assessment services to protect public health and includes the following activities:



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    • Food safety
    • Disease prevention and control
    • Public health education and promotion
    • Assessment of applications for public gatherings such as festivals
    • Unhealthy premises
    • Cooling towers and warm water systems
    • Public health risk activities
    • Administering school and community immunisations programs
    • Exhumations
    • Onsite waste water management
    • Recreational and bathing water quality
    • Responding to public and environmental health complaints
    • Air, water and solid pollution
    • Smoke-free public places


    In 2014/2015 the Council's Environmental Health Unit inspected and/or assessed 1563 food businesses; immunised 3718 babies, school children and adults; issued 1265 licences to businesses and investigated and resolved 309 public or environmental health issues.

    The animal management program is largely responsible for dog licencing and control. Activities include administering dog registrations and assessment of applications for kennel licences in accordance with legislative requirements, and investigation and compliance actions associated with complaints about barking dogs, roaming animals or dog attacks.

  • Roads, Footpaths and Stormwater and other Infrastructure

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    The Council is responsible for an extensive network of roads and footpaths, both in terms of managing the safe and efficient movement of traffic and pedestrians, as well as ensuring the assets are well maintained. It has an active program of inspections and implementing improvements in traffic management.




    The City of Hobart's road and footpath network includes:

    • More than 280 kilometres of sealed roads
    • Over 5 kilometres of unsealed roads
    • More than 425 kilometres of footpaths, predominantly comprised of asphalt and concrete
    • 67 bridges comprised mainly of concrete and steel structures.


    The Council's inspection program identifies hazards, such as uneven footpath surfaces, damaged signs, potholes and trees overhanging the footpath.

    The Council also owns and manages more than 339 kilometres of stormwater mains and more than 550 other stormwater assets, including kerb and gutters and dish drains, as well as rivulets and creeks that run for more 60 kilometres in length.

    The Council not only maintains the existing drainage infrastructure by cleaning and repairing pipes, pits and drains, but also by upgrading or replacing them as necessary.

    Rivulets and waterways across the City are also maintained, including a program of weed removal and native plant revegetation.

    An in-house design and project management unit supports Council's significant new capital works program.

  • Waste and Recycling

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    The Council aims to provide efficient, reliable and sustainable waste services to meet the needs of the Hobart community.

    Waste is collected from residential and commercial properties on a weekly basis, whilst recyclables are collected fortnightly, totalling more than 1.5 million bin collections every year.



    Other activities of the waste and recycling function are:

    • The public litter bin collection service of approximately 450 bins throughout the City of Hobart.

    • Management of the McRobies Gully Waste Management Centre with an intake of around 26,000 tonnes of general waste, 500 tonnes of recyclables and 5,500 tonnes of green waste annually.

    • Administering free-entry weekends at McRobies Gully Waste Management Centre for green waste and general mixed waste.

    • Forming partnerships with government, industry and community sectors to facilitate sustainable solutions for waste management.
  • City Cleansing

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    Through its city cleaning function, the Council has in place a comprehensive cleaning regime to prevent pollution, maintain public amenity of public spaces and reduce risks to public health.

    Sweeping the City’s streets, footpaths and other paved areas is a vital Council frontline cleaning operation in the prevention of leaves, cigarette butts, waste litter, drink cans, bottles and dirt particles entering our waterways and catchments and polluting our City streets.

    The Council's street sweepers travel around 3,000 kilometres per month, operating on a scheduled basis to clean streets in the Hobart municipal area. General suburban streets and footpaths are cleaned every 10 to 12 weeks. Streets in the CBD, Sullivans Cove and other commercial areas are cleaned on a more regular basis.

    The city cleansing function is also responsible for asset and facility cleansing services such as 44 public toilets daily, sporting facility change rooms and for the removal of graffiti.