Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff is declaring a ‘sweeping assault’ on government red tape and regulation as a key part of his plan to boost the state’s economy.
Rockliff is set to address parliament on the first sitting day of the year today with his annual State of the State report.
He is expected to declare the need for a ‘strong economy’ as a ‘major focus’ to support cost-of-living relief, public services and infrastructure development in the state.
The state government will undertake a comprehensive review of all government programs to eliminate duplication, waste and unnecessary spending.
The review will also include identifying and cutting unnecessary regulations.
Rockliff says he wants the government to ‘get out of businesses way’, allowing them to create jobs and boost productivity.
Labor Leader Dean Winter says the current state government is “addicted to waste”.
“I want to make sure that we’ve got a Government that is focused on the basics that’s delivering for Tasmanians,” he said.
Winter says he is “really concerned” about keeping young Tasmanians in the state.
“There’s never been so many young Tasmanians leaving this State and in fact, every four days on average, a plane load of young Tasmanians choose to leave.”
“We’ve got to get more young Tasmanians to stay and more young Australians to choose to come to our state.”
The Premier has outlined 11 key economic priorities for Tasmania’s key industries ahead of the upcoming federal election.
The ‘Team Tasmania 2025 Federal Election Economic Priorities’ include federal funding requests for infrastructure, freight, housing and transport.
“We are calling on the future federal government to get onboard Team Tasmania by investing in our state,” he said.
“No matter who is in Canberra, we want them to commit to for the future of Tasmania.”
The priorities include action on the freight equalisation scheme, bilateral deals to unlock economic growth projects, red tape reduction, the Cradle Mountain cableway, more housing funding and insurance reforms.
The Tasmanian Government’s list of requests for the Federal Government:
– Develop Bilateral Deals through the EPBC Act with the state to unlock key economic growth projects
– Acknowledge that the Tarkine is and has been a mixed land-use zone for 150 years, and that there is no case to change the classification of the region
– $180 million to deliver a cableway at Cradle Mountain
– Immediately increase payment rates for the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme, preceding a full review of the scheme as recommended by the Senate Select Committee
– Ensuring Tasmania gets its share in the benefits of skilled migration
– Increase funding for housing infrastructure to build more homes for Tasmanians
– Support the expansion MyState Bank Arena
– Invest in a contemporary STEM precinct at UTAS’ Sandy Bay campus
– Invest in enabling infrastructure for the TransLink industrial precinct at the Launceston Intermodal Hub
– Reducing red tape and lower the regulatory burden with tangible targets to make it easier to do business and increase productivity
– Urgently finding solutions to address the issue of access and affordability of insurance for tourism operators.
