Hobart City Deal: Anna Reynolds, Michael Ferguson, Dean Winter say federal governmet has lost interest
As a political stoush erupts over the future of greater Hobart’s City Deal – signed four years ago – Anna Reynolds, Michael Ferguson and Dean Winter say the Commonwealth’s priorities have changed.
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As a political stoush erupts over the future of Greater Hobart’s City Deal – signed four years ago – the Lord Mayor says Commonwealth priorities have changed.
Anna Reynolds is the only remaining signatory to the 2019 deal, with former PM Scott Morrison, former Premier Will Hodgman and the then mayors of Clarence, Glenorchy and Kingborough all exiting stage left.
“The new federal government have unfortunately indicated that City Deals aren’t their preferred way of contributing to urban development of our cities,” Ms Reynolds said.
“The state government has shifted its main funding focus in Hobart to a stadium that wasn’t even being talked about when the City Deal was signed.
“The issues that we wanted focused on in the City Deal remain our priorities – an improvement in public transport in Hobart, more housing particularly by activating urban renewal along the northern suburbs rail corridor and building an Antarctic and Science Precinct to boost investment and jobs in the STEM and our knowledge economy, which remains a huge challenge for Tasmania.”
Labor’s economic development spokesman Dean Winter, who was one of the four greater Hobart mayors who signed the deal said there had been progress reports every year but “we’re three-quarters of the way through the year and we haven’t heard a peep”.
“When Hobart signed up for the deal in 2019 there was real promise and excitement about what could have been a strong and much-needed boost for jobs and the economy,” he said.
“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 deal’s priorities haven’t materialised.”
The City Deal, he said, had promised but not delivered an underground bus mall, northern suburbs light rail and an Antarctic precinct at Macquarie Point.
Infrastructure and Transport Minister Michael Ferguson said the government wanted Labor to “help pressure Canberra to deliver on its funding pledges but instead we see Labor working against the state yet again”.
“I’m not surprised that Mr Winter constantly tries to blame the state for failures of the federal Labor Party,” he said.
“Some of the largest responsibility in the City Deal actually sits with the Australian Government.”
Mr Ferguson said the City Deal commitments included $2.5bn worth of projects, including $806m from the Tasmanian Government, “which we are actively trying to progress with our City Deal partners”.
He said work continued on an Antarctic and Science Precinct and activating the Northern Suburbs Transit Corridor, both for transport and urban development.
“A new bus transit centre forms a central part of the greater Hobart public transport package under the City Deal and all partners will be responsible for making it happen,” he said.
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Originally published as Hobart City Deal: Anna Reynolds, Michael Ferguson, Dean Winter say federal governmet has lost interest
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