Andrea Dawkins MP | Greens Member for Bass
The Liberal Government has neglected the North of the State for too long, denying a problem exists.
The Greens, on the other hand, have been calling for an economic plan for the North for the last two years.
Any plan to address the economic and employment decline in the North needs to look at long term sustainable growth and cannot be addressed by a Band-Aid solution that was dreamed up over a fortnight.
Surprisingly, the Government has shifted this problem onto the councils.
Minister Gutwein has already ludicrously suggested that the States $200 million water and sewerage infrastructure upgrade requirements are the Councils’ issue, and now apparently the myriad of economic issues effecting the north are being heaped on the pile.
The Government’s investment is too little too late, they need to develop a plan with vision, based on extensive community consultations and workshops.
Any infrastructure package for the north needs to start with water.
The Tamar River is one of the most polluted waterways in Australia and the Government need to sit down with the council and TasWater to resolve this problem.