“Desperate times call for desperate measures”: Traders group defends posters

The North Hobart Traders Association has defending posters which accuse six councillors of “ruining North Hobart”.

A Hobart councillor said he feels disappointed after posters which claimed he and five other councillors are “destroying North Hobart” were plastered along the busy restaurant strip.

The faces of Hobart mayor Anna Reynolds and councillors Helen Burnett, Bill Harvey, Mike Dutta, Jax Ewin and Zelinda Sherlock are pictured on the posters which reads “These HCC elected members are destroying North Hobart.”

Breaking News Breaking News Posters circulated around North Hobart. Pic: Supplied

Cr Mike Dutta said it was damaging and bordered on defamation.

He was especially upset to see one of the posters on the front of a restaurant he’d regularly dined at.

“There were a number of people who rang me and said “have you seen it?’” Cr Dutta said.

“That made me go out and see for myself.

“It is quite prominent.”

The posters were designed by the North Hobart Traders Association and were made available to business owners in the suburb.

It comes after the six councillors pictured voted against a push to suspend the parking meters, which business owners have called for the removal of.

The council instead voted for City of Hobart CEO Kelly Grigsby to continue her review of the meters and for the matter to return to council within weeks.

Councillor Mike Dutta. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Vice president of the North Hobart Traders Association John Kelly said the posters have come from a place of frustration.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Mr Kelly said.

“We’ve tried being cooperative and polite and it hasn’t worked.

“Each trader has access to those posters and they are putting them up.”

Mr Kelly accused the six councillors of “stalling the process”.

“Ultimately they may vote in favour of what we want, but the process will take too long,” Mr Kelly said.

“We’ve been let down so much and unfortunately this is what happens when there’s no co-operation between traders and councillors.”

Mr Kelly said the point of the posters was to send a message to the council.

“We want consultation which never took place and should have happened before the meters were put in,” Mr Kelly said.

“Now we want the metres removed.”

Cr Dutta said he felt like he and his fellow councillors were being attacked for doing their jobs.

“It’s just due process,” Cr Dutta said

“We have not said we won’t look at it, we will definitely look at it.

“But we need a holistic approach and evidence so we can make our decision.”