Newly formed Committee for Greater Hobart vows to lead region to prosperity

A newly formed group has vowed to counter the “culture of ‘no’” it believes is hindering growth in Greater Hobart. What they plan to do.

Greater Hobart requires an additional 30,000 dwellings to cater for 60,000 new residents over the next 30 years. Picture: Department of State Growth

A year ago Danny Sutton was sitting in a room at Oxford University with 40 investors and social enterprise leaders from across the world when he had a light bulb moment.

“At that time it really struck me that we had a positive story to tell about our region and the potential for investment in innovative and transferable solutions,” he says.

“But I asked myself, do we have a clear message that can communicate the unique identity and qualities of the region so that we could connect with people with an interest in developing globally significant social, environmental and economic solutions by addressing local problems?

“I think we should be more ambitious and confident about the future.”

He’s been described as personable, smart and the perfect fit to be the first CEO of the Greater Hobart Committee.

What is the Greater Hobart Committee?

The new high-powered committee has been formed to chart a course forward for the Greater Hobart Area, vowing to prime the region for a prosperous future and counter the “culture of ‘no’” it believes is hindering growth in the state capital.

The community-funded Committee for Greater Hobart describes itself as independent, apolitical and led by industry and community leaders. It is aiming to use research and engagement to inform better decision-making and planning outcomes in the medium to long-term.

It’s the 23rd body to be formed under Australia’s Committee for Cities model and Hobart is the last capital city in the country to have a committee established there.

The inaugural board is headed up by chair, Dan Norton, who is a former Hydro Tasmania CEO.

Committee for Greater Hobart student participants from Hobart College with CEO Danny Sutton, (L-R) Oscar Wadsley, Konan Masuda, Jaxi Peach, Sam Eccleston and Aisha Bissett at Rosny Hill Lookout. Picture: Chris Kidd

Dr Norton said the initial priority of the committee was to “challenge presumptions, widen our perspectives and open possibilities that grow the social, environmental and economic prosperity of our region”.

“We exist to help make Greater Hobart fulfil its potential we all know it has but sometimes struggles to reach. Our research shows the culture of ‘no’ to change prevents discussion and agreement about the way forward. We need to collectively address this if we’re to move into the future with confidence,” he said.

“We know there are challenges and opportunities and we want to engage with the wider community including young people, private and public sector; government, business and all stakeholders to strategically address this and find solutions.”

The committee, which will officially launch on Tuesday, said it had already garnered strong support from leading Tasmanian organisations and institutions, who it said were keen to see growth in the region.

Mr Sutton said the group would not be “competing with government, industry or councils”.

“On the contrary, we can mobilise community voices and work to impact change, rather than leave it to chance,” he said.

What will the committee actually do?

The committee has commissioned research to help guide its early work, beginning by analysing five global cities and determining what Hobart can learn from how they have overcome challenges.

The research focused on Austin, Texas; Auckland, New Zealand; Ljubljana, Slovenia; Portland, Oregon and; Coffs Harbour, NSW.

It found four common themes in relation to what the five cities had done to boost their economies and improve the lives of their citizens, as well as how they have leveraged their regional advantages.

These themes were identified as liveability, connection to the environment, learning and innovation, and a vision for the future.

The committee says its ultimate goal is to help make Greater Hobart a more inclusive, progressive and sustainable place to live.

Work undertaken prior to the launch of the committee also included a youth workshop, a foundation member workshop, and a vision audit.

Who else is part of the committee?

Directors include University of Tasmania Vice-Chancellor Rufus Black, public relations guru Keryn Nylander, KPMG chairman Paul Green, Colony47 CEO Dianne Underwood, RACT boss Mark Mugnaioni, and Matt Fishburn, the managing director of advertising agency The20.

Among the foundation members of the committee are The Mercury, Mona, Bank of us, GHD, Page Seager Lawyers and TasNetworks