PM has signed and sealed the Hobart City Deal… now to deliver
International flights to and from Hobart Airport will begin as early as next year. READ THE EDITORIAL
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INTERNATIONAL flights to and from Hobart Airport will begin as early as next year under a new plan signed as part of the Hobart City Deal.
The much anticipated 10-year $1.43 billion plan was finally signed on Sunday when Prime Minister Scott Morrison flew into Hobart.
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It includes $82.3 million for border services at Hobart Airport.
The deal also includes $450 million in upgrades to Australia’s Antarctic research station network, including Macquarie Point, which is expected to create 40 jobs in Hobart.
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Premier Will Hodgman said this was a massive investment that would secure Tasmania’s international status and “turbocharge” the state.
“To have this airport restored to international status has been a dream of mine and this Government for many years,” he said.
“We have more exporters wanting to get products into markets right across the globe.
“We are building a strong case to put to international carriers.”
The Premier hinted that Asia and New Zealand were obvious regions to see direct flights to Hobart.
Mr Morrison said the Federal Government would ensure Australian Federal Police would be in place by the time the first flights took off.
Overall, the airport upgrade is expected to create 680 jobs and generate $128 million a year.
The $1.43 billion commitment is spread across tourism, science, traffic solutions and affordable housing, with Mr Morrison saying this wasn’t a promise “but an actual funded commitment in the forward estimates”.
“Our Hobart City Deal will open the city and Tasmania up for locals and for the world,” Mr Morrison said.
“The $1.43 billion investment going into the Hobart City Deal is about driving investment into the city to make it an even better place to live and work, but also to drive benefits well beyond Hobart for all Tasmanians, whether in the north or the south, especially through the investment in the airport.”
Federal Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Minister Alan Tudge said when the airport in Canberra was upgraded to international status it saw a 20 per cent increase in overseas travellers to the region within two years.
“The possibilities for Tasmania are exactly the same,” he said. “This is a deal worth waiting for.”
There was no money in the deal for the $400 million University of Tasmania STEM centre.
Mr Morrison said UTAS had made a “tidy profit” of $10 million last year and said a STEM centre was something the university could pursue on its own.
Nor was there a firm commitment to light rail to connect Glenorchy to Hobart, but rather $25 million towards activating the northern suburbs transit corridor.
Mr Tudge said this was the first step in having better public transport for the corridor.
“There is a commitment to investigate the best future option,” he said.
The deal also includes $576 million for a previously announced Bridgewater Bridge.
jim.alouat@news.com.au
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