On this day in
2019, there was great fanfare when the then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison came
to Hobart to sign us up to a City Deal – the fourth Australian city to develop
one.
This would have
been a strong boost for Tasmanian jobs and the state’s economy.
As one of the
four Greater Hobart Mayors whose signature is still inked on the Hobart City
Deal, it is incredibly disappointing to me that the priorities – which largely
focussed on transport and housing – still haven’t materialised.
There was the
Northern Suburbs Light Rail, which has now been scrapped.
There was
Hobart’s underground bus mall, which still has no location and appears to have
been scrapped by the government but they won’t admit to it.
There was the
fifth lane on the Southern Outlet and associated changes to Macquarie and Davey
Streets, which still have not happened.
There were
ambitions to make the Tasmanian capital a hub for Antarctic research at
Macquarie Point and the development of the University of Tasmania’s science,
technology, engineering and mathematics presence in the city, to attract more
staff and students.
The Antarctic
Precinct still doesn’t exist, it has no tenants and the future of the site is
still clouded, with the Liberals planning a billion-dollar stadium at Macquarie
Point.
Once again, the
State Government appears disinterested in strategic planning, with their
promised state-wide planning scheme still undelivered after almost a decade in
government.
Like so many
announcements from the Liberals, the City Deal appears to have been forgotten
and left to fade from our minds.
What a lost opportunity for Hobart and Tasmania’s economy.
Dean Winter MP
Shadow Minister for Economic Development
