Communities

Having a roof over your head is one of the basic life essentials that many of us take for granted. However, we all know that there are some people in Hobart who are not fortunate enough to say that they have a home to go tonight. I believe that the most basic thing a community can do for each other is ensure people have a safe space to go home to each night, a roof over their heads and a place to call their own. Heck, even a place to grow, thrive and live their best lives. Through council by-laws and zoning, we can encourage development of housing that includes small numbers of social homes built into larger developments to help ensure that each and every Hobartian has a place to call home. 

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We also know that we are losing potential long term professionals, like doctors and nurses, to other states because they cannot find appropriate housing in Hobart. So we must ensure that we work toward urban consolidation, looking for under-utilised land and building homes for the future to ensure our City's service needs are met, and to build new communities for a brighter tomorrow.

As our city grows, there are increasing numbers of residents who are living in apartments and townhouses. Whether its a young couple who have bought their first place, a school leaver living in a unit or a retiree who has downsized, there are increasing numbers of people in the community who live with no private outdoor space. Community garden programs provide an important connection to place and enhance happiness for those among us who enjoy gardening but don't have their own space. The need for more community gardens will grow as more people are pushed into higher density living. I believe councils should ensure community gardens are nice places to be, with attractive fencing and appropriate seating. I further believe council should support these programs by:

• Supplying reduced price essentials, like soil and compost

• Providing shared covered spaces within gardens

• Providing professional gardeners to provide workshops

• Maintaining essential structures like fences and storm water management.

Anyone who has travelled to Europe will know how lucky we are to have freely accessible public toilets in Australia. I believe that the provision of public toilets helps to build local communities. Knowing that you can hang out at your local reserve, oval or bushland with your community, without having to worry about what to do when you need to go, encourages people to stay local, promoting a sense of small communities within the larger Hobart community. I believe Council can enhance public toilets by:

• Ensuring an appropriate distribution of public toilets in all neighbourhoods

• Removal of unsightly toilet blocks around our suburbs and replacing them with well considered and beautifully designed public toilets

• Ensuring a regular cleaning and inspection service.

Areas for communities to come together to socialise, celebrate, commiserate, organise, practice, learn and plan are essential for healthy communities. The Queens Domain community pizza oven is an outstanding example. This facility brings together people from all walks to celebrate Hobart, the sunshine and healthy spaces. There are many other examples of spaces where people come together as part of their community, including Mathers place and Criterion House, Waterworks reserve BBQ shelters and many parks, community halls and small buildings in Hobart municipality. I believe that whatever service the facility is providing to the community, they should be treated equally. Council can support community facilities by:

• Ensuring the current facility meets the needs of the groups who use it

• Ensuring all community facilities are maintained to a high standard

• Designing new community facilities that are contemporary, considered and beautiful

• Listening to local communities and working with them to ensure their needs are being met

Playgrounds are an important gathering place for many families. They provide an interactive and engaging environment for children of all ages to come together to play and learn. In recent times, councils surrounding Hobart City have built new, modern playgrounds that provide an exciting play space for the local community. I believe council can improve its playgrounds and play spaces by:

• Identifying a suitable location to build a new, contemporary play space

• Ensuring equipment is maintained to a high standard

• Replacing old, tired and unused play equipment with modern equipment

• Making sure playgrounds are meaningful and not tokenistic

• Enhancing existing playground with supporting infrastructure, like toilets and barbecue shelters where appropriate.

They say a dog is a man's best friend. And they are right. Animals bring great happiness to many people and shared facilities, like dog parks, help to build communities centred around a love for animals. Although there are many ovals and reserves that are dog friendly outside of peak times, it is important to provide areas where dogs can be exercised off leash at all times of the day. Dog parks are a great addition to any community, and I believe there is opportunity in Hobart to create more speciality dog parks.