Peter Gutwein,Premier
My team and I have hit the ground running to deliver the strong plan we took to the election to Secure Tasmania’s Future.
We laid out a number of key actions to deliver across our first 30 days of taking office, and we have delivered each and every one of them – as we said we would.
This includes important actions in a number of vital areas such as health, skills and training, job creation, tourism, and building the infrastructure our growing State needs for the future.
We heard loud and clear from Tasmanians that these are their priorities and my team understands the need to deliver on everything we promised.
Key actions we have already taken include:
- Meeting with each major private hospital, as well as the community nursing and home-care sector, to discuss the provision of services to take pressure of the public hospital system;
- Started recruitment of additional health staff needed for our elective surgery blitz, including kicking off advertising;
- Signing a MOU with Calvary Health Care to remove any outstanding impediments to the $120 million co-located private hospital adjacent to the LGH;
- Entering into an agreement to extend direct underwritten flights between Hobart and King Island and Flinders Island to March 2022;
- Delivering an MOU between the Government, TT-Line and the Tasmanian Maritime Network to deliver up to $100 million in local supply to Tasmanian businesses in delivering two new replacement ships;
- Establishing the guidelines and parameters for the $2 million Job Ready Fund to help job seekers gain essential tools they need to get a job;
- Commenced negotiations with the organisers of six iconic Tasmanian events to deliver multi-year funding agreements and secure their future here in Tasmania;
- Working with TasPorts on the $240 million investment into the Port of Devonport;
- Commenced planning for all TasTAFE capital works including $12 million for trade spaces and new accommodation in the north-west, $10 million in the north for campus upgrades and new student accommodation in the south; and
- Facilitated the provision of a no interest $100 million loan to Incat to construct a 120-metre high-speed vessel, securing 500 jobs, and further adding up to 120-150 jobs.
And in coming weeks, we will continue this momentum and deliver the remaining elements of our 100 day plan.
I want to thank Tasmanians for the faith they have shown in me and my team, and I want to say once again, we will not let you down.
Our strong plan was backed by the people, and we are getting on with the job of delivering it as we Secure Tasmania’s Future.
