Saturday Community Session Feedback (13 December 2025)

Community Response to Proposed Cenotaph Relocation:

During Saturday's engagement session, we heard valuable perspectives from community members about the proposed Franklin Cenotaph relocation.

While there were varying viewpoints shared, many residents expressed a preference for keeping the memorial at its current location, highlighting the importance they place on preserving the historical significance of the original site.

Survey Results Reflect Community Views

Feedback Across Different Engagement Methods:

Our survey responses (closing 5 January 2026) reflect similar themes to those discussed at Saturday's community session. The feedback shows that while there are different perspectives in our community, there is considerable support for maintaining the cenotaph in its current location.

We're grateful for the thoughtful input we've received through various consultation channels, which is helping us understand the community's values and priorities.

Community Suggestions We've Heard

Alternative Ideas from Residents:

Several community members have thoughtfully suggested keeping the Franklin Cenotaph at its original location while exploring the development of the lower-level area for community use.

This approach could involve relocating future ANZAC services to a new lower-level space, which would preserve the memorial's current position while creating enhanced facilities for community gatherings.

Additionally, some residents have mentioned considering the removal of one of the Lone Pines adjacent to the cenotaph (while keeping the other) to help ensure the memorial's long-term preservation.

Matters We Need to Share:

While we value the community's preference to keep the cenotaph in its current location, there are a couple of important considerations we need to discuss:

ANZAC Services:
In 2000, DSG (Department of State Growth) advised that ANZAC services could no longer be held at the current site, which was agreed upon by Council and RSL, leading to services being combined with Huonville. However, the local community group has since restarted services at the location, which has brought these safety and access concerns back to the forefront. In order for services to receive official endorsement or permits, an alternative location with safe access and appropriate facilities would be required.

Environmental Impact:
The community should be aware that the pine tree directly behind the Cenotaph is currently causing ongoing damage to the memorial. Sap drips are causing erosion to the statue, and tree roots are slowly destabilising the foundation from underneath. Without intervention, this may result in long-term damage to the Cenotaph.

In our upcoming survey, Council will ask the community whether they would support removing this pine tree and replacing it with appropriate landscaping that would better preserve the memorial for future generations.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on these community suggestions and how we might address these important considerations together. We've prepared a second survey to gather your feedback on these ideas.

You're welcome to participate in this survey regardless of whether you completed our earlier one. Every voice in our community matters.

• Complete the survey/s by 5 January 2026 (if you have completed the first survey that's great, just complete survey 2)
• We will be away from our desk over the Christmas period so if you have questions, please email engage@huonvalley.tas.gov.au and we will respond when we return in 2026.