SCOTT BACON Opposition Spokesman for Tourism and Hospitality Opposition Report
When you think about the components of Tasmania’s world-class hospitality sector, water and sewerage infrastructure doesn’t immediately spring to mind. Visitors to our state just want drinkable water to be there when they turn on the tap and waste to be dealt with in an environmentally sustainable way. Water and sewerage is certainly a hot topic at the moment with differing views on the best way forward. Politics aside, the truth is that important projects need to be completed to allow for development, including in the hospitality sector, to occur. Labor has identified three projects that would help unlock significant investment but have been forgotten in the Government’s take-over plans. The first is Launceston’s storm water problem which needs to be fixed for both environmental and economic reasons. If we get this fixed, investors will have much more confidence. The second is moving the sewerage treatment plant at Macquarie Point to allow the development to proceed. This is an enormous opportunity for Tasmania and the hospitality related opportunities on the site are very exciting. We don’t want to wait decades for action on Macquarie Point but nothing can happen without the treatment plant being relocated.
And the third project that needs addressing is Cameron Bay, where water and sewerage upgrades are required for Mona’s plans to go ahead. Mona’s track record speaks for itself and we believe the government (regardless of who’s in power) has an obligation to build the public infrastructure that allows private projects to proceed. All three projects would be funded by partnering with industry super funds who would then receive a return on their investment comparable to interest on a loan. The ownership model of TasWater has become a noisy distraction. No matter who owns the business, it is clear they need to do a better job. Labor’s plan would allow TasWater to focus on its core business. At the same time it will allow us to complete three massive projects sooner rather than later, without taking on huge amounts of debt. Water and sewerage infrastructure might not capture the imagination of many people, but the bars, restaurants and hotels that will flow from the investment certainly will. We need to do the groundwork so our tourism and hospitality sectors are able to grow. Labor truly believes the three projects listed above are critical to the state’s economy. If we get the basics right, investment and employment will follow.
Time sheet books and crowd control registers are available at special prices to our members: Crowd Control Registers - $20 each Time Sheet Books - $15 each
Please call the office of the Tasmanian Hospitality Association on 6220 7300 or email Madi on madalyn@tha.asn.au to place your order.
April 2017
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