POLITICS BLOG: Major upgrade for Tasmania’s heaviest library, mixed year for Tassie retailers

The state’s only rock library is considered one of the mining industry’s most precious resources and it’s about to get a major upgrade. FOLLOW LIVE >>

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A $2.4M upgrade to Mineral Resources Tasmania facilities will underwrite the continued prosperity of the state’s mining industry, Primary Industries and Water Minister Guy Barnett says.

MRT has more than 700k of rock core samples, which form an invaluable resource, Mr Barnett said.

The upgrade to the Mornington Core Library will consolidate work done at two sites and provide an upgraded and expanded state-of-the-art facility for geoscientific and analytical functions, he told reporters.

Director of Mines Kevin Robinson, Minister Guy Barnett and local member Jacqui Petrusma at Minreral Resources Tasmania in Mornington on Tuesday January 12, 2021.

“This is a significant investment in a sector that supports more than 5100 direct jobs, contributes more than 51 per cent of our state’s exports, and produces product with a value of more than $2bn each year,” Mr Barnett said.

“This is the first major upgrade since the library was first opened 30 years ago.”

University of Tasmania Earth Sciences head Sebastien Meffre said secrets still lurked on the shelves of the core library.

“There will be surprises because the earth is incredibly complex,” he said.

“It’s really, really important to keep these cores because with new technologies we can get down to the sub-micron level and characterising a core at the sub-micron levels would take gigabytes of information. At the moment, it’s not feasible to digitise all that information and keeping those core samples that have been acquired at great cost is absolutely important.”

The Liberals promised to move the MRT to Burnie before the 2014 state election.

“The government’s policy has been implemented in full, we’re now in stage four of that policy commitment, with 12 full-time positions based out of the Burnie MRT office,” Mr Barnett said.

Tasmanian retail trade grew by 3.4 per cent in November

RETAIL trade grew by 3.4 per cent in Tasmania in November, breaking a three-month run of negative results, the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show.

Year-on-year seasonally-adjusted turnover was up 13.6 per cent to $654 million for the month, compared to 5.6 per cent for the previous 12 month period.

Furniture, floor coverings and homewares was the strongest sector, with 29 per cent growth, year-on-year, followed by recreational goods with 25 per cent.

Clothing retail also enjoyed 19 per cent growth and groceries 9.6 per cent and liquor retailing 13.5 per cent.

Takeaway food sales grew by 10 per cent, but cafe, restaurant and catering services were down 2.8 per cent.

The pandemic year was a wild ride for retail, as for many other industries.

Retail trade dropped by 17.5 per cent in Tasmania in April, the largest fall for a single month since records were first kept in 1986.

It rebounded almost completely in May, and enjoyed a two month rally before three consecutive months of downturn.

Hobart retailer Hank Rietveld, who owns Intersport, said there had been a noticeable increase in people buying sporting goods amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sales at Intersport Kingston are going gangbusters says owner Hank Rietveld. Picture: Eddie Safarik

Mr Rietveld opened a second store in Kingston in March and had been concerned about the business’s future when the pandemic emerged.

But after reducing staffing levels down to two, he again employs 17 people following increased sales.

“What we’ve noticed is an increase in sales from July once the restrictions started to ease,” he said.

“People were being more active and walking a lot, and they were buying quality footwear and fitness equipment.

“People are focusing on their health and wellbeing from home.”

Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Michael Bailey said it was great news that many businesses had remained strong and vibrant.

“However, we need to do more to make sure the green shoots of economic recovery support more businesses. This year we want to work with the government to help businesses survive the COVID fall out and look for opportunities to grow into the future,” Mr Bailey said.

National retail turnover recorded strong growth in November, up 7.1 per cent following

a rise of 1.4 per cent in October 2020.

Ben James, ABS Director of Quarterly Economy Wide Surveys said some states had shown strong month-on-month growth, while others had lagged, often due to coronavirus outbreaks.

“The rise is led by Victoria, 22.4 per cent, as Melbourne retail stores were able to trade for a full month in November. Excluding Victoria, turnover rose 2.6 per cent.”

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