Hobart City Council’s Speakers’ Corner program attracts ridicule from Hobart business leaders

Hobart City Council’s Speaker’s Corner is a “shemozzle” and a “nonsensical” use of ratepayer funds, say two business leaders who have signed up to the program just so they can ridicule it.

TWO business leaders have signed up to the Hobart City Council’s Speakers’ Corner program, just so they can publicly ridicule it for being a waste of ratepayers’ money.

Confederation of Greater Hobart Business chair Louise Bloomfield and Tasmanian Residential Rental Property Owners Association president Louise Elliot have signed up for speaking permits after discovering only seven people had participated in the six-month trial, which cost $5310.

Ms Elliot said she would “ironically” dedicate the first part of the speech to criticising the Speakers’ Corner and council’s “nonsensical” use of ratepayer funds.

“It’s an absolute shemozzle. What Q&A process is council going through before ratepayer money gets spent? What level of scrutiny is being applied before it’s green lit?” she said.

“This is not free speech in any sense of the word. This is restricted, monitored, expensive speech.”

Louise Bloomfield says Hobart City Council's Speakers' Corner program is pointless and bureaucratic. Picture: Kenji Sato

Ms Bloomfield said she couldn’t understand the need for a Speakers’ Corner, nor why anyone would seek council’s permission for free speech.

Ms Bloomfield said it was hard to imagine anyone wading through the four-page legal document required to apply for a speaking permit.

The document lists all the rules and conditions of the speaking permit, and warns that certain speakers may be required to take out public liability insurance.

“If you read the rules, it’s not surprising that nobody’s applied. They’ve basically red-taped it into oblivion,” Ms Bloomfield said.

“I feel it is a very horrifying program, in that it speaks volume about our community right now.”

Ms Bloomfield said her speech would attempt to focus on the “more positive” side of what could be for the city of Hobart.

Ms Elliot and Ms Bloomfield plan to book two thirty-minute slots next to one another and give their speeches back to back on Tuesday from 11am.

Hobart City Council CEO Kelly Grisby said they would be reviewing the Speakers’ Corner program and collating feedback, now that the trial period had finished.

“There are currently seven registered speakers, but we hope this is just the start of a more widely used platform for public speech,” Ms Grisby said.

“The redevelopment of Salamanca Place provided an opportunity to establish a new Speakers’ Corner in a more suitable location, away from retailers but still highly visible, and with space for people to gather to hear a speaker. More opportunities to speak were also introduced.”

Council speakers event costs ratepayers thousands

Only seven people participated in Hobart City Council’s Speakers’ Corner program, costing ratepayers the equivalent of $1516 per hour of speech.

The trial program ended on October 31 after a six-month run, during which time it wracked up $5310 in legal fees, planning permits, and signage installation costs.

Per participant, that equates to $758 for each 30-minute speech.

The Speakers’ Corner was initially conceived as a “free speech” space for the community, who could book a 30-minute slot on Salamanca plaza to air their views.

However, other than council’s “seven speakers over seven days” event, not a single person bothered to go through the process of applying for a speaking permit.

Hobart mayor Anna Reynolds admitted there might not be “an appetite” for such a program, but that it was nevertheless important to have a space for free speech.

PUBLIC SPACE

Councillor Reynolds said they had previously run into problems with street preachers evangelising at the Elizabeth Mall, much to the annoyance of shopkeepers.

On one occasion Hobart City Council was made to testify at the anti-discrimination commission after trying to move on a mall preacher who held anti-gay views.

“If you don’t identify a spot, you can run into challenges… the important thing is we identify a place and set up a sensible and transparent process for using it,” Cr Reynolds said.

“If the appetite isn’t there at the moment, it’s not much of a cost to the council. It’s just to ensure there is a place that’s well considered and has rules around it.”

Now that the Speaker’s Corner trial has finished, Hobart City Council will be compiling a report on how well the program performed.