The Hodgman Government’s number one priority is jobs.
That’s why I’m pleased that one of my first actions as State Growth Minister is to announce a major upgrade to energy infrastructure in the North East, which will unlock tens of millions of dollars worth of investment and support jobs in the region.
At the moment, the power supply to this region is unreliable and lacks capacity and in fact one major dairy, Agrilac, powers its farm on Old Waterhouse Road with diesel generators. With the upgrades to electricity infrastructure, businesses like Agrilac will be able to invest in their own infrastructure, expand and create more jobs.
Upgrading the electricity system will enable Agrilac to begin the next stage of its proposed $30 million upgrade, which will create more than 30 new direct and indirect jobs in the region.
This investment, which is strongly backed by the Dorset Economic Development Group and the Dorset Council, will also unlock other opportunities in the region for dairy farming and increased irrigation opportunities.
The Government has been working with TasNetworks to make sure the upgrade happens as quickly as possible.
The North East has changed dramatically over the past few years. The boom in visitor numbers, new businesses setting up and strong support for traditional industries from the Hodgman Government have all combined to see optimism and confidence increase in the region.
Announcements like this show that we are committed to creating jobs in regional Tasmania.