The local government response to Port Arthur: a personal experience

by Neil Noye, Mayor, Tasman Council

ort Arthur falls within the This paper was presented at the Port Arthur was put on hold for perhaps three weeks Municipal boundary of the Seminar, 11–12 March 1997, Melbourne. to a month whilst we concentrated on Tasman Council. On 28 April Readers should bear in mind that it is Neil’s the matters at hand. P personal experience related one year ago. 1996 the community found itself thrust Within the first week, we issued all into the international spotlight as a Neil’s involvement with Local Government Councillors with a fax machine so that result of the shootings at Port Arthur. extends over 28 years, including nine years we could quickly distribute information The Tasman municipality contains as Mayor. He was also the local SES Co- to them. Any piece of news or infor- many areas of tourist interest, and is ordinator for seventeen years, retiring in mation that came through was therefore heavily depended on tourist trade for its 1996. The Council of nine people serves a quickly sent to all councillors. economic livelihood. The Council was relatively small community of 2,200 permanent residents. Formation of the Community faced with a range of problems following Recovery Task Force the tragedy at Port Arthur, including On the Tuesday evening following the shock at the numbers of people killed, requested Council plans of the Seascape shooting, we formed a Community impact on the economic infrastructure Cottage. We got those out, and took Recovery Task Force, with fourteen on as a direct result of the loss of tourist them to the Police Headquarters where the Committee. Anyone in the com- earnings, and how to handle the issue of I introduced myself and made myself munity could come to the task force ‘community recovery’, a process that known. I advised them that we would meetings and could vote on any issue. was recognised as being complex and keep the telephone lines open from the The role of the task force was to protracted. The Council and key com- Council Chambers for anything they inform the community as to what action munity members were able to recognise needed. It was about 6.00 p.m. by the the Council was proposing. Those that the importance of the tasks before them, time I left Taranna and returned to the were in some way affected by the and put in place structures that ensured Council office. tragedy needed to be given something that the adverse effects of the tragedy We remained there that night, and to do. The task force therefore formed were minimised as much as possible, and gave our first media interview after a number of sub-committees: the that the Tasman community could look midnight. The media wasn’t supposed Memorial Committee, the Trust Fund to the future with confidence and to have got through because of the road Committee, and the Entertainment security. block. The interview went well but it was Committee. Sunday 28th April pretty unexpected. At this point the The Trust Fund Committee was I was fencing with my son on my Police were in charge of the whole formed over and above the state-level property, which is 7 kilometres from situation, and I was of the view that we Port Arthur Appeal Committee. We Port Arthur. I saw one ambulance go up were there to assist them wherever found that where people wanted to be the road and, shortly after, another. I possible. involved, we gave them a committee job wasn’t too worried at the time as we have At around 2 a.m. (Monday) the — where they weren’t satisfied, we gave two ambulances in our volunteer group. Police contacted me and wanted a them two committees to be involved When I saw a police car follow, I made bulldozer supplied to Seascape to block with! contact with our local nursing home the entrance, and possibly provide We also established a community which has two emergency beds. At that protection for any subsequent Police newsletter, distributed twice a week. point I was told that someone was action. We made arrangements for that. This covered every household in the area running amok at Port Arthur with a gun. At 8 a.m. we had the Council Cham- and contained details as to what we were They were not sure of any other details. bers open. The General Manager and doing, and asking for their input. It was I then tried to contact Port Arthur, myself were there full time answering probably the most beneficial thing that but couldn’t get in because the lines were media calls from around Australia and we did for the community. They wanted jammed. I managed to contact houses the world. We were really the only two news, and the information was critical. just out of Port Arthur, and was told that running it. The telephone lines were More than once I got messages on my there were up to twenty people dead in then jammed until nearly midnight. answering machine, and when I rang one area — the media were still saying It was ‘full-on’ for the first week, back to see what they wanted, the person three or four. until we organised a media officer to would say that they didn’t need me now, I then contacted the Council Gen- assist. As we did not have a media officer and that the newsletter had given them eral Manager and went down to the on council staff, initially one, then everything that they wanted to know. Council Chambers at Nubeena, four- another, was provided by the Premier’s We felt that if there was anyone trau- teen kilometres from Port Arthur. There Department. The rest of the Council matised, it was important to get them we opened the telephone lines with the staff were traumatised and were not at involved with Council or one of the Police Task Force at Taranna. At around work. The General Manager and I kept committees, and we could use the 4 p.m. the Police contacted me and the office running. All Council business newsletter to do this.

Autumn 1998 9 We received a tremendous amount of Delegation visit to media and government departments advice from the Department of Com- other Australian states who were now operating in the area. munity and Health Services, the State A delegation comprising myself, the We could see this, and contacted the Emergency Service and the Premier’s Premier and the Chairman of the Board Premier’s Department and Tasmanian Department, but we had decided that we of the Port Arthur Historic Site was Development and Resources (TDR) to were going to do our recovery from formed. We visited each of the Eastern get them into the district and circulating inside. We were happy to accept help Australian States over the course of a around. Port Arthur started to recover from outside, but the main effort and week, and thanked the people for what after that initial three-week period. direction had to come from us. they had done for us. This was a particu- People come back in different ways. It Politicians were kept away — we larly memorable experience. wasn’t only tourism — the people of wouldn’t have a bar to do with poli- We met with members of the Victoria Tasmania really got behind it and that ticians! They were ringing up left, right Police Special Operations Group who was excellent for Port Arthur itself. That and centre, but we asked them to stay had assisted at Seascape Cottage. They was coming back nicely. out of the way — just let us get on to do were very pleased that we had taken our But at the fringes — the caravan what we do … ‘We’ll let you know when time to go and thank them for what they parks, holiday homes and other accom- its time to come in.’ had done for us. modation — they were really hurting The first of the real milestones in the We then went to Ballarat and visited and this was the case until the end of recovery process was the local com- children who had lost both their mother 1996. munity Memorial Service for those who and father. We met them at a lunch TDR were slow. They had promised had been killed. This was held at Port hosted by the Ballarat Shire. We did a interest assisted loans and restructure of Arthur on Friday 3 May 1996, and was number of major interviews in Victoria, existing loans, but until I contacted the important in keeping the community before going to Canberra where we met Premier before Christmas, things had together and ensuring that people were with school children who presented a been slowing down. This was probably involved in the recovery process. cheque for money that they had raised. due to the restructuring that the TDR One very important aspect of the We continued with interviews in has recently gone through. After I council involvement was the tremen- Canberra, and attended a dinner at the contacted the Premier, the loan assis- dous part played by the General Man- British High Commission. We then flew tance started to come through. ager and the accountant. They put in to Sydney and continued with the Overall we have had a tremendous extremely long hours each day, all week, extremely long days of media interviews amount of assistance from the Govern- and they didn’t once give in. We gave and visits. From Sydney it was on to ment and from various departments. the General Manager a fortnight off for Brisbane, where patients at a hospital for The Prime Minister also allocated $2.5 the time he had put in, but during this terminally ill children presented us with million specifically for the Port Arthur he kept coming into the office every day a cheque for Port Arthur. Historic Site. A lot of people thought to ensure that things were going By this stage, the issue of the debate that the assistance from the Federal properly. There was no asking for over gun control was starting to come Government was for us, the community. overtime, or only working to fixed in and the media didn’t want to talk so But it wasn’t. It was given to the Historic hours. Many nights we were there till much about Port Arthur, but rather Site to rebuild the visitors’ centre and well after midnight — as long as it took about this issue. After dinner on each to upgrade the car park. The demolition to do what we had to do. of the nights we were away, we would and rebuilding of the Broad Arrow Cafe meet and plan our strategy of what we was another issue. Visit by the Prime Minister would say the next day. We also received assistance from to the Port Arthur site We returned to Melbourne after Sorell Council, our next door neigh- At one point the Premier of Tasmania Brisbane, and from there went to bours. They allocated $10,000. In wanted to get in touch with me. My line Adelaide. There we continued the addition, a number of other costs were was jammed, so he rang the next door interviews with a range of media sources, picked up by the State Government. neighbour and asked them to get in before finally returning to Hobart. But as a council we were meeting a contact with me. The whole trip was extremely bene- number of unforseen expenses from our This was because the Prime Minister, ficial. The people were hungry for news, own resources. Until the end of June, John Howard, was coming to Port and we visited wherever possible the we had recorded an additional $56,000 Arthur, and the Premier wanted me to Tasmania House in each State, and spoke lost in terms of telephone costs, salaries meet with him at 8.00 am. I said that I with the staff there, as well as the media etc. and this was becoming a real burden couldn’t as I had to be in Hobart that generally. Our main aim was to thank on ratepayers. We were starting to get a same morning to do the reading at the the people of Australia for what they had bit ‘uptight’ about it. We contacted the State Memorial Service at St David’s done, because they had been marvellous. Federal Government, and they said we Cathedral. The Premier said not to had to deal through the local Premier, worry about that and that he would look Economic impact of the event which we of course had also been doing. after things. on the municipality The State Government eventually came So following the meeting with the We recognised as a Council that the through with $50,000. Prime Minister, I flew directly to Hobart shootings would have a profound effect We have also had to increase rates, by helicopter, and was there in time to on the economy of the area. Port Arthur with some of the increase due to Port read at the State Service. It was the first itself was closed down for three weeks, Arthur. However, we realised that time that I had seen my cattle, and but some of the businesses did not suffer everyone in the community was hurting, particularly my cows calving in three quite as badly as the others because they and we endeavoured to keep any in- weeks — and that was from a helicopter! received the additional business from the creases down to a minimum.

10 Australian Journal of Emergency Management Personal visits to from the gallery offering their views the shootings, but this has now been members of the community directly to the task force, and being given more impetus and importance. On the Tuesday following the shooting, allowed to vote. The community is looking at the I visited all the local people who had lost There were quite a number of people establishment of a suitable memorial to loved ones. I knew eight of the people in the task force and in the gallery who mark the event. We have invited com- who were killed and I knew the per- were under extreme pressure. They were ments in newspapers throughout petrator — I had met him twice. We had not thinking rationally at the time, but Australia, asking what people consider previously met when he had come to my in time they started to get their feet on would be a suitable memorial. About 72 property and wanted to buy calves off the ground, and realised that the whole per cent of the respondents suggest that me for a property that he owned at community needed to be involved with we should use part of the Broad Arrow Copping, north of the Tasman the task force during the recovery Cafe or its grounds as the focus point Peninsula. process. of the memorial. This agreement of the community to I am also involved with the Port Funerals of the deceased any action also extended to the media. Arthur Appeals Committee, which is As Mayor, I attended a number of The Witness TV program approached us headed by a Queens Counsel as chair- funerals of those killed, both in Tasmania and wanted to come and interview man. At present we have approximately and interstate. These were very trau- members of the community. But they $3.3 million. This is taking an enormous matic experiences. Local Government wouldn’t do it unless the local people amount of my time, particularly in was responsible for meeting the cost of agreed. responding to media articles that suggest my attendance at these, but when I was The task force voted on this prop- that there may not be enough money, talking to the Lord Mayor of Hobart in osal, and I accepted a vote from the or that no funds are available for the passing one day, she offered to meet the public gallery too. I wasn’t personally head stones of the victims, for example. cost of the interstate air fares from her in favour of the Witness reporters Generally however, the media have given own sources. This was particularly coming, but I was in favour of them me an armchair ride, and have been very helpful. getting the view of the community that understanding, both nationally and Other financial costs they didn’t want them. As it turned out, internationally. I receive an annual $7,000 Mayor’s the interviews were well conducted. The Port Arthur Historic Site Allowance. I have not claimed any There is still a lot of work also to be done additional costs as a result of Port The future in relation to the staff at the Port Arthur Arthur, and have walked away from my We think now that the community is Historic Site. They are still hurting. The business for months at a time. slowly starting to recover, but the community and staff at the site need to I have told the municipality that I process will go on for at least another be drawn closer together, and the will not claim any out-of-pocket ex- twelve months. Some of the people who management of the site and the com- penses unless the State or Federal have lost loved ones are starting to get munity also have to come together. Government compensated the council. their feet back on the ground and feel I’ve worked well with the manage- I couldn’t ask my ratepayers to ‘carry’ positive. ment of the site, but many people feel Port Arthur any more than they were, As a Council we are looking to the that they have been left out. It’s been a which will eventually be hundreds of future, and trying to build up the bit fragmented at times, and there have thousands of dollars — significant in our municipality. We have a lot of new been problems, but we are slowly small community. enquiries coming in for accommodation, overcoming them. It’s all part of being and the establishment of new businesses. a small community. This was also one Significant events from Out of the tragedy of Port Arthur, we of our biggest assets, in that everyone the early recovery process have received a tremendous amount of generally knows everyone else. We were told a number of things that publicity, and we want to look at the had arisen as a result of the Dunblane positive aspects of this Conclusion shootings, particularly in relation to the The Recovery Task Force has now I would like to thank the many and troughs and peaks that we would experi- been made a formal committee of varied organisations that have assisted ence during the recovery process. Council, and we will confirm from a list the Tasman Community, particularly I initially thought that we would be of nominees a committee of twelve Tasmania Police and the State Emer- strong enough to get through, but what community members, to meet monthly. gency Service, and the Department of they indicated in relation to this was The committee will also formally Community and Health Services which true. Some of the local community establish a number of sub-committees includes the Tasmania Ambulance wanted to go to the preliminary court such as the Special Events Committee, Service. Also to the staff at the Royal hearings of the gunman. I tried to talk the Memorial Committee, and the Hobart Hospital, particularly the them out of going. They insisted on Community Radio Committee. nursing staff, who may not have received going, but afterwards came back and The idea of a community radio the level of recognition that they rightly told me that it didn’t improve them station will address the real problem that deserve. much at all. For some it was an extremely we have in the local area of poor I am acutely aware that in thanking traumatic experience. communications, which was a significant people that it you leave just one group Another issue was that some resi- issue operationally during the Port off, they get offended. This is not the dents wanted to take control of much Arthur incident. Mobile telephones intention, and the Tasman community of the recovery process. don’t currently work in the area, but we owes a tremendous debt of thanks to all During meetings of the task force, are told that this is being addressed. The the people of Australia for their support there was some opposition to people initiative of the radio station preceded and help.

Autumn 1998 11