Michael Ferguson,Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is building the intergenerational infrastructure our state needs to thrive, with a landmark $5 billion program that will support jobs, bolster confidence and invest in our community.
To oversee this massive infrastructure program, we have enhanced the role and function of Infrastructure Tasmania, with an additional $7.78 million over four years.
ITas will now have an expanded role in the strategy, policy and planning of infrastructure across government, and an expanded role in priority project delivery. It will also have a new role in enhanced capital delivery capacity and monitoring, including offering a new service in project assurance.
Since its inception in 2014, the core function and focus of ITas has moved from just transport infrastructure to include other projects, such as the DEC redevelopment and NBL team, the Tamar Estuary Management Taskforce, the Bruny Island Ferry service and the Hobart City Deal.
Our $5 billion infrastructure program, announced in the 2020-21 State Budget, will deliver more homes, better schools, roads, bridges and irrigation schemes, as well as renewable energy assets, and health, housing and justice facilities, and ITas will play a key role in delivering these projects.
This plan is already being aggressively implemented, with tenders being progressed, work underway and Tasmanians being employed.
Over the four-year period of the State Budget and forward estimates, we expect our $5 billion infrastructure program to support around 25,000 jobs.
We know the best way to grow business confidence and create jobs is to grow the economy – we’ve done it before and we are doing it again now.
While Labor produces a shopping list today of projects we’ve already funded and are delivering, instead of an Alternative Budget, we’ll get on with the job of delivering for Tasmanians, with a record investment into the state to boost the economy and grow jobs.
