Foreword

‘Hobart – A Community Vision for our Island Capital’ is the foundation upon which the Capital City Strategic Plan 20192029 was formulated.

‘Hobart – A Community Vision for our Island Capital’ is the foundation upon which the Capital City Strategic Plan 20192029 was formulated. The vision was created from a collaboration between Hobart communities and stakeholders, the Vision Project Community Panel and the City of Hobart in 2018. It is the result of more than 1100 contributions about the future people want to see. It is about Hobart, the place, and Hobart, the people, whose lives, work, stories and aspirations define this city. The vision is a community statement about identity as much as ambition.

It’s a privilege to have been appointed as the City of Hobart’s new CEO at such an exciting time in the city’s history. I’m committed to working in partnership with elected members and staff to ensure that the City of Hobart inspires confidence, is community focussed, innovative and responsive to the needs of our community as we transition to a vibrant, globally relevant and contemporary capital city, embracing opportunities for growth aligned to the community vision and building international connections and capabilities to leverage all that Hobart has to offer. It is within this context that we commenced a sense check with residents of the community vision to ensure its ongoing currency; and will commence a review of the Capital City Strategic Plan to ensure it reflects new and emerging opportunities and best positions the City to lead the strategic development of Hobart and to influence State and Federal Government policy directions. This review will help to inform the ongoing development of our Executive Leadership Team – Strategic Directions that will guide the priorities of the organisation over the coming 12 months, ahead of a formal review and refresh of the Capital City Strategic Plan at the commencement of the new Council term in October 2022.

A focus alongside this is reviewing the fundamental financial model and assumptions underpinning the City’s Long-term Management Financial Plan and analysing opportunities to optimise organisational performance and enhance revenue, value capture and joint ventures with other levels of government. As the CEO, it’s critically important for me to hear from staff from across the organisation about what’s working well, what we need to improve and your ideas for the future. Therefore, an extensive engagement process with elected members, staff and key agencies and stakeholders commenced in June 2021 to help inform the preparation of an organisational transformation program that aligns with the City’s vision, ensures key focus on areas required to deliver the strategic directions and ensures public value.

I’m excited about working alongside staff from across the organisation to ensure we are creating and nurturing highperforming leaders as we transition to an employer of choice by building on all of the good things already working well in the organisation to ensure we have a great culture.

From a city-shaping perspective, I am talking with elected members, senior staff and key stakeholders about building a compelling narrative for Hobart, referencing all of the great work underway that tells the story of where we are heading as a city that excites our partners, community members and the organisation that will transform the way we engage and communicate both internally and externally. At a time when cities are increasingly required to be globally fluent to attract capital, people and trade, innovation and imagination has never been more important. As Tasmania’s capital city local government authority, the City of Hobart has a responsibility to lead and shape our City as the city changes. We also need to prepare our organisation for future local government reform and position ourselves as leaders in Tasmania.

At a time when cities are increasingly required to be globally fluent to attract capital, people and trade, innovation and imagination has never been more important.