The Huon Valley Council is planning to make a new by-law which will include a number of amendments (changes) to our existing by-laws.

The proposed Miscellaneous Amendments By-law, By-law No.1 of 2021 will:

• Make sure that the by-laws are up to date with current legislation and stay appropriately enforceable
• Clarify unintended issues arising from the by-laws as originally drafted
• Take into account changing expectations

Before we make the by-law, Council is seeking comment from the community on the proposed amendments.

You can view a copy of the proposed by-law on Have Your Say, along with a summary of the amendments and the by-laws with the proposed amendments shown.

These documents are also available to inspect at the Council’s Customer Service Centre, 40 Main Street, Huonville.

Comments on the proposed by-law may be made in writing to the General Manager, Huon Valley Council, PO Box 210, Huonville, 7109 or by email to hvc@huonvalley.tas.gov.au, and must be received by the Council no later than Wednesday 19 May 2021.

The proposed amendments are:

• Waste Management By-law 2012
  • Update legislative references and definitions where these have changed since the by-law came into force.
    Currently, people can only remain in a waste management facility if they are depositing waste. Clarification is provided that a person will not be offending against the by-law if they enter a waste management facility for a purpose other than depositing waste, such as entering the Huonville Re-Use Shop.

• Caravan By-law 2015
  • Update legislative references and definitions where these have changed since the by-law came into force.

• Council Land and Recreational Facilities By-law 2017
  • To clarify that a vessel such as a boat must not be left at a Council-owned marine facility for a period of more than two consecutive nights. Currently, the By-law prohibits leaving a vessel at a marine facility for more than two days, however this may not cover circumstances where the vessel leaves and returns to the facility within that period. The amendment clarifies the purpose of the by-law to ensure that general public use is not obstructed by private use.
  • To clarify when and where animals may be allowed to be in Council land or a recreational facility without the need for a permit. Under the amendment, permission can be provided through appropriate signage and it is noted that Council may provide tracks for the use of animals for activities such as horse riding.
  • To note that a person is not guilty of an offence of camping or setting up a caravan without permission if that person can establish that they are homeless. This is in line with a state-wide approach to addressing homelessness as proposed through the Local Government Association of Tasmania.

The Council has not prepared a regulatory impact statement for the proposed by-law and is not currently proposing any major amendments to the existing by-laws or development of new by-laws.

Any issues raised during the public comment period outside of the proposed by-law amendments may need to be considered by the Council at a later date.