Premier Visits George Town Businesses Tue 1 May 2012 Lara Giddings Premier The Premier, Lara Giddings, today visited a George Town business that is bringing the benefits of the mineral resources boom in Western Australia to Tasmania. Ms Giddings toured Grant Mawer Engineering Pty Ltd, which is fabricating industrial equipment for water reservoirs and desalination plants. "This is an example of a Tasmanian company that has been able to tap into the benefits of the mining boom without leaving our shores," Ms Giddings said. "Through innovation and quality, Grant Mawer business has been able to compete favourably for work interstate, with components fabricated in George Town then shipped to Western Australia with a crew of workers to do the final assembly on site. "Like many in George Town, Mr Mawer's business has relied on BHP and Rio Tinto for much of its work, and with these larger companies confronting challenges, smaller suppliers such as these have been affected. "But it is extremely positive to see businesses such as this one working to access new markets, capitalising on their excellent reputation and competing all over the country. "I spoke in my State of the State speech about Tasmanian businesses working to ensure that we do not miss out on the benefits of the resources boom, and the work that Grant Mawer Engineering is doing is another example of that. "These businesses know the importance of staying confident, of making sure they grasp opportunities." "Tasmania is not alone in dealing with the impacts of the high Australian dollar and the fall-out of the European debt crisis. "But there is also resilience in our economy, including $4.5 billion in private investment over the past year. "Tasmania's private economy which is made up of households and businesses has grown for seven consecutive quarters. We need to rebuild the confidence to keep that momentum going. State private demand is growing at 3.5%, almost full percentage point faster than either Victoria or NSW. "While our unemployment rate is too high, our employment levels are still 2600 jobs higher than during the GFC. Tasmania is restructuring into a more resilient and competitive economy. The State Government will support our communities through this change." Ms Giddings said she would be meeting with the George Town Council along with business and community leaders during her visit to the region to discuss how the State Government can work to support and secure jobs.
