The Hodgman Liberal Government is getting on with its Plan to make Tasmania attractive for investment and to create jobs with the appointment of a Chief Executive Officer for the newly created Infrastructure Tasmania (ITas).
Mr Allan Garcia, currently the CEO of the Local Government Association of Tasmania, will bring valuable skills in leadership, intergovernmental relations, negotiation and policy implementation to the new role.
The establishment of ITas delivers on a key election commitment that will enable more efficient infrastructure development and drive productivity, economic growth and community amenity.
ITas is a new body which will provide independent advice to the Minister for Infrastructure and Treasurer. It was established to ensure the effective coordination, planning and assessment of major infrastructure proposals in Tasmania, with an initial focus on transport infrastructure.
As CEO, Mr Garcia will establish develop strong and influential relationships with key stakeholders including local infrastructure providers, Infrastructure Australia and the Australian Government.
He will lead strategic thinking and planning to support the implementation of the Government's long-term future directions including the identification of current and future infrastructure needs.
A priority task of ITas is the development of an Integrated Freight Strategy to address system bottlenecks and barriers to efficiency and productivity. ITas will work closely with relevant State Government agencies, local government, the business community and infrastructure interest groups in this work.
The appointment of Mr Garcia is another demonstration that the Government is heading in the right direction and I look forward to working with him on the important infrastructure priorities before us.