community services · City of Hobart
City of Hobart backs plumbing reform submission
The Hobart Workshop Committee endorsed a draft submission on plumbing approval reform and authorised the CEO to lodge it with the Department of Justice.
The City of Hobart’s Workshop Committee has endorsed a draft submission on the Tasmanian Government’s Plumbing Approval Process Reform Discussion Paper and authorised the chief executive officer to finalise it and lodge it with the Department of Justice. The open portion of the meeting was held on Monday, 20 April 2026, at 4.03pm in the Lady Osborne Room.
Councillors endorsed the draft submission, marked as Attachment A to item 6.2, and authorised the CEO to finalise it and send it on. The resolution was directed at the Tasmanian Government consultation paper.
The committee also received and noted the City of Hobart 2025-26 Annual Plan Progress Report for the period ending 31 March 2026 and endorsed its release on the City of Hobart website.
That report will be published for public viewing online after the committee’s endorsement.
The open meeting also included workshop discussion on proposed changes to the state planning system under the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act. Karen Abey, director of strategic and regulatory services, gave an oral presentation on preventing delays in development assessment timeframes.
Members discussed Requests For Information, incomplete applications and the need for a simple one-page flow chart showing the application process, forms and timelines. They noted the final submission will be presented to council for approval at the 27 April 2026 council meeting.
Waste management drew a longer discussion. David Reeve, director infrastructure and assets, and Chris Kuchinke, manager city resilience, presented a progress update on the Waste Management Strategy Implementation Plan.
Councillors were told the council receives about $9 million in revenue from accepting clean fill. They also heard that transporting landfill from City Projects to Copping costs $25 a tonne, compared with $4 a tonne to dispose at McRobies.
Members noted that, based on current usage, McRobies has capacity until 2045. They asked for comparative analysis of the three options discussed: continuing to accept landfill at McRobies, taking landfill to Lutana and then Copping, or sending landfill directly to Copping.
The CEO said an options paper will come back to council with the available options, costs, benefits and opportunities so council can determine the future direction.
Reference minutes
Source: City of Hobart Hobart Workshop Committee - 20 Apr 2026 4.00pm minutes.
Key facts from the minutes
- The Hobart Workshop Committee met on 20 April 2026 in the Lady Osborne Room.
- Councillors endorsed a draft submission on the Plumbing Approval Process Reform Discussion Paper.
- The CEO was authorised to finalise the submission and lodge it with the Department of Justice.
- The committee received and noted the City of Hobart 2025-26 Annual Plan Progress Report for the period ending 31 March 2026 and endorsed its publication on the council website.
- Councillors were told the council receives about $9 million in revenue from accepting clean fill.
- Members heard McRobies has capacity until 2045 based on current usage.
- The CEO said an options paper on waste management choices will come back to council.
Why it matters
- The council has formally backed its position on plumbing approval reform, while also advancing public reporting, planning reform discussion and waste strategy work that will return to council for further consideration.