PM open to City Deal

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull says he looks forward to further discussions with Premier Will Hodgman about a City Deal for Hobart, but needs “enthusiasm, commitment and engagement” from the State Government.

Independent Denison MP Andrew Wilkie asked the Prime Minister in parliament yesterday about a timeline for a potential City Deal for Hobart, after Mr Turnbull said he was open to the idea when visiting the state in November.

“We are certainly very open to it, but plainly we need to get the enthusiasm and commitment and engagement from the State Government and the city government and other interested parties,” Mr Turn- bull said. Mr Wilkie said later there was a roadblock, with the State Government not effectively putting the case to its federal counterparts.

“Already we had the remarkable spectacle in the Federal Budget where there was no funding for any number of Tasmanian infrastructure projects, simply because the Tasmanian Government never asked for it,” Mr Wilkie said.

“In other words, the reason we don’t have money for more water infrastructure, or a new Bridgewater Bridge, or Hobart light rail, or the university’s visionary STEM project, is that the Tasmanian Government hasn’t bothered to talk to its Liberal colleagues in Canberra about the need for federal funding.

“And we’ve learned today we can now add the Hobart City Deal to the list of projects left languishing by the State Government.”

A Government spokeswoman said Mr Wilkie appeared to be “trying to duck-shove his own failure to deliver for his electorate onto the State Government”.

“Mr Wilkie should spend less time on things like trying to stop fish farms and close hospitals in other electorates, and more time working for the people who elected him,” the spokeswoman said.

Federal Labor infrastructure spokesman Anthony Albanese said Hobart needed investment, not talk, from the Federal Government.

The Hobart City Council voted this month to lobby the State Government for a City Deal in the lead-up to the state election amid fears momentum had stalled in the wake of the signing of a similar deal for Launceston. Lord Mayor Sue Hickey previously identified the University of Tasmania’s $400 million STEM project, a 2500-3000 seat conference centre at Macquarie Point and funds to cover the cost of removing water and sewage facilities from Macquarie Point as potential top priorities for any deal.

The Mercury is campaigning for a City Deal as part of its Future Hobart campaign.