Lord Mayor says ratepayers are being ‘brainwashed’ into thinking mass tourism growth is a good thing
UPDATED: EMBATTLED Hobart Lord Mayor Ron Christie says he will not resign from the post despite a media storm over his recent comments about Dark Mofo and mass tourism. VOTE IN OUR POLL. WATCH THE PRESS STATEMENT
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UPDATED: EMBATTLED Hobart Lord Mayor Ron Christie says he will not resign from the post despite a media storm over his recent comments about Dark Mofo and mass tourism.
“I will not be resigning as Mayor of Hobart and will proudly lead this council to the next election when our community will have their say,” a visibly emotional Ald Christie told reporters during a brief press statement this afternoon.
“I have not backed down or stepped away from the personal comments I have made about the Dark Mofo festival or the future of our city.\
“It is now time to have the debate and listen to our community.
“I would like to think those hundreds of people who have emailed and phoned me with support.
“Like me, they love this city, they love Tasmania.
“They want to preserve its unique history and also its beauty.”
Tasmania’s peak business body today joined calls for Ald Christie to go, slamming his comments on tourism as “simply embarrassing”.
Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Michael Bailey today said Ald Christie’s comments were potentially damaging to the Tasmanian tourism industry as a whole.
Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin has labelled as “ridiculous” and “sensationalist” claims made by Ald Ron Christie in Monday’s Mercury that mass tourism could kill Hobart.
“Mr Christie is using the Lord Mayor role as a vehicle to present messages that are not representative of the council or community as a whole,” Mr Bailey said.
“He should step down his role as Lord Mayor immediately.”
Mr Bailey claimed Ald Christie was out of touch with the community.
“Clearly, he has not been out and about in Hobart with the tens of thousands of people who have attended Winter Feast, Dark Park and MoFo events over the past two weeks.
“That is thousands and thousands of Tasmanians, interstate visitors and international tourists — but mainly Tasmanians.
“His continued campaign, misusing his role as the Lord Mayor, is simply embarrassing …. and unrepresentative of the Tasmanian community, including many TCCI members who have contacted me.”
Mr Bailey’s statement follows Hobart Alderman Marti Zucco’s call for the Lord Mayor to step down.
Earlier today, Ald Christie received support from some HCC aldermen.
Ald Tanya Denison said she was not happy with the inverted crosses at this year’s Dark Mofo event.
“My friends are not happy with the upside down crosses. They are quite happy with things happening behind closed doors, but for things to be out in the public they have to explain to their children they are not happy about,” she said.
Another alderman said it was passe to use inverted crosses and deliberately upset portions of the community.
But Ald Damon Thomas said it was not up to the council to censor the festival but rather to ensure the crosses were put up according to building regulations.
Ald Marti Zucco said the council had no role because its funding was not directed towards the arts component of the festival.
He said it was inappropriate for the Ald Christie to make statements which did not reflect the views of aldermen.
Ald Jeff Briscoe said he was very frustrated with the Lord Mayor’s comments but said that the council need to work topgether for the next four months until the October election.
OVERNIGHT: A FELLOW alderman says Lord Mayor Ron Christie should immediately step down while the state’s peak tourism body has accused him of declaring war on the tourism industry.
Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin has labelled as “ridiculous” and “sensationalist” claims made by Alderman Ron Christie in Monday’s Mercury that mass tourism would kill Hobart.
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“We are a long way off using the term ‘mass tourism’,” Mr Martin said.
“We have one million tourists a year so let’s get some perspective.”
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A recent survey by TICT showed Tasmanians believed that tourism made a bigger contribution to the economy than any other industry, and thought it had a range of positive impacts, including benefits for employment and small business owners, and supported new and improved infrastructure.
Mr Martin said the survey found that in Hobart and southern Tasmania, 84 per cent of people thought the current growth in visitor numbers was just right or too low. Only 12 per cent thought it was too high.
Mr Martin said Ald Christie’s comments were doing damage to the council’s reputation and his own but would not have an adverse affect on tourism.
“I think investors are incredibly positive about Hobart,” he said.
“Hobart City Council has a Lord Mayor who declared war on Dark Mofo and now he’s declared war on the tourism industry.
“The October elections can’t come soon enough.”
Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Michael Bailey said the mayor’s comments had the potential to send the wrong message to tourists.
“When you’re in the position of Lord Mayor every comment you make is representative of the council,” he said.
“It’s like the Prime Minister can’t make a personal comment and say that does not reflect the government — that’s not how it works.”
Ald Marti Zucco said the recent actions and statements of the Lord Mayor were totally unacceptable.
“I call on the unelected Lord Mayor to immediately step aside for the sake of the capital city of Tasmania,” he said.
Other aldermen condemned Ald Christie’s comments but would not go so far as to call for his resignation.
Ald Damon Thomas said Ald Christie’s comments were “left field”.
“As a former lord mayor and a sitting alderman I welcome tourists and all who choose to visit our island home,” he said.
Ald Jeff Briscoe said: “It’s some very provocative comments from the Lord Mayor and he has not discussed it with his fellow aldermen. I am very disappointed.”
But Ald Eva Ruzicka said Ald Christie had raised some valid questions that the council had been struggling with for a long time.
“A lot of young people are saying to us ‘yes, we do love arts and festivals but we don’t want congestion’,” she said.
Ald Anna Reynolds said there was disquiet in the community about what they felt was an unmanaged tourism boom.
“We need to fast-track city shaping projects like the light rail and ferries, and we need to consider policies like a visitor levy to help us fund this kind of infrastructure,” she said.
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Premier Will Hodgman said Tasmania’s tourism industry was one of the state’s greatest competitive strengths, and a key driver of employment and economic prosperity.
“I believe we should seize the day,” he said.
“To turn off the lights and shut down the things bringing people here will only take Tasmania backwards.”
EARLIER: HOBART Lord Mayor Ron Christie says the tourism situation unfolding in our city mirrors some European capitals where communities are demanding their lifestyle back.
Discussing an opinion piece he penned for today’s Mercury, Ald Christie told ABC Local Radio he was concerned at the rate Hobart was growing, the subsequent traffic congestion, and the sudden influx of 500,000 people for festivals like Dark Mofo.
He also has concerns about the number of cruise ships arriving, with 62 passenger ships due to arrive next season.
Ald Christie hit the headlines last week when he said Dark Mofo was going in a concerning direction and many in the community agreed.
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He followed up with an opinion piece in today’s Mercury to raise his concerns about the stellar growth of tourism and how it was changing Hobart — and not necessarily for the better.
“We need to sit down now and smell the flowers. Let’s put the brakes on and assess the situation,” Ald. Christie said.
“I am speaking as Mayor on what the community is telling me. That they want a say in the future of their city.”
He said the situation unfolding in Hobart was mirrored the problems in Rome and Paris where the community was demanding its lifestyle back.
“Hobart heading down that road now,” Ald Christie said.
Asked if anyone else on the Hobart City Council supported his views, Ald Christie said he could not be sure because many elected representatives chose to stay quiet on controversial issues.
“I speak out. There are other parts of the community which have concerns and I represent them too.
“My community is contacting me. The role of a politician is to listen to the people they represent and sometimes speak out.”
OVERNIGHT: MASS tourism has the potential to destroy everything Hobartians love about their city, Hobart Lord Mayor Ron Christie says.
Alderman Christie says the community is being “brainwashed” into believing large-scale tourism is in its best interest.
Speaking to the Mercury yesterday, Ald Christie said most of the issues plaguing Hobart including traffic congestion, fast-paced hotel construction, the tripling of Airbnb accommodation and the housing crisis could all be attributed to the influx of mass tourism.
Australia’s political system was partially to blame, Ald Christie said, which favoured business growth and commercial opportunities over people.
“We are constantly being told — if not brainwashed — by our tourism industry, government and hungry real estate moguls to embrace it,” he said.
“I’m going to have real estate agents and the tourism industry come out for me big time — I know that.
“I don’t think the community is aware of what could happen and they need to know and that’s why I’ve come out and said this.”
Ald Christie said the State Government was selling Hobart, and by extension Tasmania, too hard to investors. “Promote do not overkill,” he advised the Liberal Government.
“We are the smallest capital city in Australia, which makes us the most vulnerable to exploitation and development.”
Ald Christie said the Hobart City Council, with a budget of $135 million, could not deal with the stunning rate of growth it was enduring and flagged amalgamation with other greater Hobart councils as a possible solution.
“I think we definitely need to look at amalgamation for the future,” he said. “We need to grow in that area because what will happen is we will have urban sprawl, that is inevitable.”
Last week, Ald Christie suggested Dark Mofo funding may be cut in the future and the winter festival had crossed the line in recent years.
Ald Christie said he stood by his comments and would leave his political fate with the Hobart ratepayers.
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