City of Launceston

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Launceston City Council
Tasmania
City of Launceston
Map showing the Launceston local government area
Coordinates 41°21′38″S147°18′16″E / 41.3605°S 147.3044°E / -41.3605; 147.3044
Population70,055 (2021) [1]
 • Density49.544/km2 (128.32/sq mi)
Established1 January 1853 [2]
Area1,414 km2 (545.9 sq mi) [1]
MayorMatthew Garwood
Council seat Launceston
Region Launceston and surrounds
State electorate(s)
Federal division(s)
Launceston City Council Logo.gif
Website Launceston City Council
LGAs around Launceston City Council:
West Tamar George Town Dorset
West Tamar Launceston City Council Break O'Day
Meander Valley Northern Midlands Northern Midlands
Launceston City LGA Tasmania locator map.svg

Launceston City Council (or City of Launceston) is a local government body in Tasmania, located in the city and surrounds of Launceston in the north of the state. The Launceston local government area is classified as urban and has a population of 77,363, [1] which also encompasses localities including Lilydale, Targa and through to Swan Bay on the eastern side of the Tamar River.

Contents

Government

The current mayor is Matthew Garwood, elected in 2023.

NamePosition [3]
Matthew GarwoodMayor/councillor
Hugh McKenzieDeputy mayor/councillor
Danny GibsonCouncillor
Andrea DawkinsCouncillor
Alan HarrisCouncillor
Tim WalkerCouncillor
George RazayCouncillor
Joe PentridgeCouncillor
Andrew PalmerCouncillor
Lindi McMahonCouncillor
Susie CaiCouncillor
Alex BrittonCouncillor

History and attributes

Launceston is classified as urban, regional and medium (URM) under the Australian Classification of Local Governments. [4] The population at the 2016 Census was over 65,000, making Launceston the most populous of the 29 local government areas in Tasmania.

The municipality logo features the now extinct Tasmanian tiger, an indigenous marsupial that used to be prevalent in the Launceston district.

History

Launceston was first declared as a municipality in 1853 and declared a city in 1888. [5] Its original boundaries have long since been redefined and the area now known as the City of Launceston includes parts of the former Lilydale, St Leonard's, Evandale and Westbury Municipalities. [6] In the 1890s, the municipality grew to include Galvin Town (South Launceston) and in 1906 to include the northern suburbs of Invermay, Mowbray and Trevallyn. [7] This has produced a local government area that overlaps its similarly named city, rather than either being contained by or encompassing it.

Women were ineligible to stand for election to the Launceston City Council until 1945, [8] despite being granted the same rights at federal and state level in 1902 and 1921, respectively.

Localities

Suburbs of the city of Launceston

• Dilston • East Launceston • Invermay • Kings Meadows • Launceston • Mayfield • Mowbray • Newnham • Newstead • Norwood • Prospect • Punchbowl • Ravenswood • Rocherlea • South Launceston • St Leonards • Summerhill • Trevallyn • Waverley • West Launceston • Youngtown

Localities other than suburbs

• Bangor • Blessington • Burns Creek • Golconda • Karoola • Lalla • Lebrina • Lilydale • Lower Turners Marsh • Mount Direction • Myrtle Bank • North Lilydale • Nunamara • Patersonia • Pipers Brook • Pipers River • Prospect Vale • Relbia • Retreat • Springfield • Swan Bay • Targa • Tayene • Tunnel • Turners Marsh • Underwood • Upper Blessington • White Hills • Windermere • Wyena

Sister city relations

Homelessness

Homelessness in Launceston has been a growing problem. [9] [10] Launceston City Council does not hold or track statistics on homelessness but relies on Homes Tasmania to do so. [11]

2024 Strike it Out, Inc Removal

Charity Strike it Out, Inc operating in Launceston was forced remove sleeping trailers during the middle of winter with recorded overnight minimum temperatures of -3°, [12] which the charity acquired to alleviate the situation of rough sleepers sleeping in freezing conditions in Launceston City during the winter periods [13] after a long running tussle between the council and the charity. [14] The Launceston City Council rejected any blame, releasing a press release on 1 July 2024 after media scrutiny following the removal of the pods. [15]

The charity has been attempting to get permits from the council for the infrastructure but the council had imposed ad-hoc arbitrary conditions, including compliance with a privacy act it has no enforcement jurisdiction on. [13] [16] The council does not have any general policy of approving homeless accommodation providers' proposals or requests. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

Councils of Tasmania are the 29 administrative districts of the Australian state of Tasmania. Local government areas (LGAs), more generally known as councils, are the tier of government responsible for the management of local duties such as road maintenance, town planning and waste management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Launceston, Tasmania</span> City in Tasmania, Australia

Launceston is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, the Launceston urban area has a population of 90,953. Launceston is the second most populous city in Tasmania after the state capital, Hobart. Launceston is the fifth-largest inland city and the ninth-largest non-capital city in Australia. Launceston is regarded as the most livable regional city, and was one of the most popular regional cities to move to in Australia from 2020 to 2021. Launceston was named Australian Town of the Year in 2022.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottsdale, Tasmania</span> Town in Tasmania, Australia

Scottsdale, formerly known as Ellesmere, is a town in the north-east of Tasmania, Australia. It lies on the Tasman Highway, around 63 kilometres (39 mi) north-east of Launceston and 22 km (14 mi) south-east of the coastal town of Bridport. It is part of the Dorset Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">York Park</span> Sports stadium in Tasmania

York Park is a sports ground in the Inveresk and York Park Precinct, Launceston, Australia. Holding 21,000 people, York Park is known commercially as University of Tasmania (UTAS) Stadium and was formerly known as Aurora Stadium under a previous naming rights agreement signed with Aurora Energy in 2004. Primarily used for Australian rules football, its record attendance of 20,971 was set in June 2006, when Hawthorn Football Club played Richmond Football Club in an Australian Football League (AFL) match.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Esk River</span> River in Tasmania, Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lilydale, Tasmania</span> Town in Tasmania, Australia

Lilydale, originally known as Upper Piper, is a small town in northern Tasmania, Australia. The town is 28 kilometres (17 mi) northeast of Launceston and is a part of the Launceston municipality, except for about 4% which is in the Dorset LGA. It is located near Mount Arthur. At the 2016 census, Lilydale had a population of 277. The town's notable attractions include the Lilydale Falls, two small waterfalls, Mount Arthur, and, along the main street, a series of telegraph poles painted with murals.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevallyn, Tasmania</span> Suburb of Launceston, Tasmania, Australia

Trevallyn is a residential locality in the local government areas (LGAs) of Launceston (25%) and West Tamar (75%) in the Launceston LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of the city of Launceston. The 2016 census recorded a population of 4562 for the state suburb of Trevallyn. It is a suburb of Launceston.

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Invermay is a residential locality in the local government area (LGA) of Launceston in the Launceston LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) north of the town of Launceston. The 2021 census recorded a population of 3,498 for the state suburb of Invermay. It is a suburb of Launceston, which contains the minor suburb of Inveresk, it is located on the eastern side of the Tamar River and the northern side of the North Esk River, the suburb is most notable as being home to York Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Star Theatre, Invermay</span> Building in Tasmania, Australia

The Star Theatre is a historic Streamline Modern/Art Deco theatre in the inner Launceston suburb of Invermay, Tasmania. When it opened in 1937, the theatre provided seating for 852 persons. The cinema was purchased in 1971 by the St. Vincent de Paul Society as a charity store after the theatre originally closed in 1969.

Allen William Hollingsworth was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly for the Nationalist Party from 9 Jun 1934 until 13 December 1941. He was an alderman of the City of Launceston, and Mayor of the city in 1933–1934, 1946 and 1950.

The Tasmanian Heritage Register is the statutory heritage register of the Australian state of Tasmania. It is defined as a list of areas currently identified as having historic cultural heritage importance to Tasmania as a whole. The Register is kept by the Tasmanian Heritage Council within the meaning of the Tasmanian Historic Cultural Heritage Act 1995. It encompasses in addition the Heritage Register of the Tasmanian branch of the National Trust of Australia, which was merged into the Tasmanian Heritage Register. The enforcement of the heritage's requirements is managed by Heritage Tasmania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trams in Launceston</span> Australian tram network

The Launceston tramway network served the city of Launceston, Tasmania in Australia from 1911 until 1952.

Frank Archer was a Tasmanian politician. He was a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 1893 until his death, representing the electorate of Selby.

Upper Blessington is a rural locality in the local government areas of Launceston and Break O'Day in the Launceston and North-east regions of Tasmania. It is located about 48 kilometres (30 mi) east of the town of Launceston. The 2016 census determined a population of 61 for the state suburb of Upper Blessington.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "2021 Launceston, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 23 July 2023. Resident population on census night, 10 August 2021.
  2. ↑ "An Act to Establish Municipal Councils in the City of Hobart Town and Town of Launceston (16 Vic, No 17)".
  3. ↑ "Meet Us - Launceston City". launceston.tas.gov.au. Launceston City Council. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  4. ↑ "Local government national report 2014-2015". regional.gov.au. Australian Government. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  5. ↑ History Pages (2007). "Significant works of architects in Launceston". Architecture History of Tasmania. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020.
  6. ↑ "Agency Details: Launceston City Council". search.archives.tas.gov.au. Tasmanian Government. January 1852. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  7. ↑ State Library Service of Tasmania (1999). "Properties in Launceston - their owners and occupiers" . Retrieved 22 May 2007.
  8. ↑ "Women may be eligible for Council". Launceston Examiner. 14 April 1945.
  9. ↑ "Homeless in Launceston doing their best to survive, but tensions boiling over". Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  10. ↑ "Launceston homelessness on the rise as those in need fall through system gaps".
  11. ↑ "Homeless Statistics". Right To Know via RTI Request. 4 July 2024. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  12. ↑ "'Where's the humanity?': Charity forced to warehouse portable beds, showers in freezing Tasmania".
  13. 1 2 "Strike It Out told to remove sleeping pods and shower trailers for homeless people in Launceston".
  14. ↑ "Strike it Out Documentation - Strike it Out's proposal". Right To Know via RTI Request. 8 July 2024. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  15. ↑ "Council rejects blame for sleeping pod project delays". City of Launceston. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  16. ↑ "Council Policy on Using Privacy Act Jurisdiction / Powers". Right To Know via RTI Request. 8 July 2024. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  17. ↑ "Policy or Approval Criteria for Homeless temporary accomodation". Right To Know via RTI Request. 8 July 2024. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
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