Helen Burnet answers questions from young people

(These questions were put to Helen by grade 6 students from a Hobart school in March 2011)

Q. Why did you decide to be a politician?

H.B. I have had a strong interest in politics for most of my school years and adult life, but ironically very little direct engagement with arguably the most relevant and accessible of representation - local government. I stood as part of the Greens' ticket for Hobart in 2004, in response to what I saw as a misappropriation of money gifted to the city of Hobart and ultimately its residents. A tram, ostensibly for tourists who should walk from one side of Sullivan's Cove - Hunter St to Salamanca - was proposed for Hobart with commonwealth money gifted to the city - completely out of keeping with the history of the waterfront and for use by tourists rather than for the people of Hobart. A friend and I had put in a submission to the Hobart City Council, arguing that this was wrong, which was part of a growing public sentiment that ultimately changed the Council's position on spending of the money. Happily, the bicentennial funding secured the much more appropriate Bicentennial Park on Mt Nelson in perpetuity - the protected skyline viewed from the eastern shore, and its walking tracks that link down to Sandy Bay. This was a better outcome - for the health of our city, for the free use of our residents and visitors, and ultimately was a better environmental outcome.

There are many reasons apart from this initial one. I believe that it is important to stand up and be counted. I stood as a Greens' candidate on a very local issue but with a broader interest in Green principles of caring for environment, social justice and principles of sustainability and equality. The Greens are the only political party openly represented at the local government level in Tasmania, which I believe provides the public with more transparent and therefore be more accountable to the public.

Another reason was for more diverse representation. I believe that women have a key role to play in public life and whilst this does not appeal to many - as an example only three out of 12 of our Council are women, which is hardly representative of the general population. Gender and other diversity must bring better representation.

Q. What is your major responsibility as Deputy Lord Mayor?

H.B. I was elected Deputy Lord Mayor in October 2009.  My role is to fill in for the Lord Mayor when he is unavailable to chair the Council meeting, and to attend other meetings or civic functions on his behalf. It is an incredibly diverse role, which I really enjoy. It provides me with the opportunities to meet with many different people with different interests, and to express my point of view too.

Australian cities with Lord Mayors include Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong. The title of 'Lord Mayor' was conferred on the position of Mayor during the 1934 - 1935 council. The current Lord Mayor, Alderman Rob Valentine, is the 65^th mayor of Hobart and is also the longest serving, having been elected in 1999. He is the 14th Lord Mayor. There has been only one female Mayor or Lord Mayor in the history of the city proclaimed in 1835 - a trend I would certainly like to change.

More broadly, as a councillor I sit on a variety of committees, with interest in planning, community development, intergovernmental issues, access issues especially for people with disabilities, cycling, and health and wellbeing. I also attend to concerns raised by constituents, ranging from riparian zone and escarpment protection, to safer cycle and pedestrian options, to concerns of market stall holders, to better skate park amenities.

Q. What changes have you made since you have been on Council?

H.B. Local government is the closest tier of government and sits well within a Green ethos - grassroots democracy. Over the six years I have been on Council, there are many things I have been involved in that Council has undertaken to improve our city, and I'll outline a few of these.

I have introduced a conciliation option for people with varying positions - representors and applicants for planning matters. By bringing people together in a less formal, less adversarial process it may be that things can be cleared up before they become heated or often more expensive in the formal planning process.

The Bicentennial Park decision is alluded to above. I have also worked for greater protection for waterways and bushland, although there is still more to do in this area. I have worked for planning rules to protect the escarpment so that building does not occur there.

I have brought into question the unsustainable financial model of the Taste Festival. This currently costs the Council close to $700,000, with costs rising considerably this year, with the upgraded Princes Wharf 1 Shed. The Taste is a great festival but has the potential to be at least cost-neutral. This in turn means that ratepayers' money is not wasted on an extravagance we can ill-afford, but instead could be channeled into worthy community projects.

I have also helped improve the city's general health and wellbeing by strongly supporting the Jan Gehl report on Hobart’s future. A full copy of this report, which promotes a vibrant, people-friendly inner city, is available at the HCC website - http://www.hobartcity.com.au/content/InternetWebsite/Hobart/A_City_with_People_in_Mind.aspx- and also to improve Greater Hobart's cycle network. I have a health background and know that to maintain good health we need to be able to exercise. Cycling and walking are easy, often incidental ways of doing this, and also reduce our city's greenhouse gas emissions by taking cars off the road. It is also a better and safer experience when pedestrians are given priority rather than cars choking our roads.

Q. How do you think that you have made things better?

H.B. We have a really special city and are fortunate to live in a wonderful part of the world. I would like to think that by making our community more inclusive, by engaging younger and otherwise marginalized voters and providing them with good, accessible representation on issues that would otherwise be overlooked, I have made a difference. Also, by working within a sustainable environmental, social and economic context, and coming back to the basic principles outlined above, I feel that I can make our city better.

Greens Alderman Helen Burnet

Deputy Lord Mayor

Hobart City Council

Town Hall

Macquarie St

Hobart TAS 7000

P: 03 62 382 936

M: 0417 284 267