This year 's budget will invest a record $113 million on school and TAFE infrastructure upgrades right around the state, the biggest ever education infrastructure package from a Tasmanian Government.
This will deliver the contemporary learning spaces students need – all the while honouring our promise to the full six-year, $134 million Fairer Funding model.
This record investment in education is possible because of the difficult decisions we took in our first budget, and our continued spending discipline, which means the budget is now back in a sustainable position.
Tasmania’s economy is growing at its fastest rate in six years, business confidence is among the highest in the country, the unemployment rate is down 0.9 percentage points since the election, and the budget will be in surplus for the first time in seven years.
This year’s budget has been framed in difficult circumstances, including the loss of more than half a billion in GST payments. Despite this, as a result of our disciplined approach, the Budget will still deliver a surplus and we will invest the dividends in health, education and protecting the vulnerable.
On health, we have already announced substantial upgrades to facilities at the LGH and RHH and our One Health System reforms will come into their own this year.
Protecting the most vulnerable will be front and centre in the budget, with significant commitments for child protection, tackling family violence and providing more affordable housing.
And we are future-proofing the state, with the establishment of a ships replacement fund protected by law, to ensure future governments can't raid the money set aside for ship replacement and spend it on other things.
Of course, this is only a snapshot of how the Government is investing the around $5 billion per year of your money we are entrusted with and full details will be included in Thursday’s budget.
There’s still a long way to go, but our state is now firmly back on track.