Kingston to start its long-awaited centre

THE $17 million Kingston Park development will finally begin to take shape next year with the construction of a health centre on the disused former school site.

Kingborough Council bought the 11.3ha site from the State Government in 2014, but there has been little to no movement since.

The development, which will take up about 40 per cent of Kingston’s CBD, was previously reported to include the $6.5 million health centre and a community hub at the “heart” of the site.

Despite discussions as early as 2014, the project has been held up by a lack of funding. It failed to secure federal funding before the last federal election and applications in multiple rounds of the National Stronger Regions Funds grants have also been unsuccessful.

Despite the setbacks, Kingborough Mayor Steve Wass said construction on the health centre — which will be funded by $5.8 million from the State Government — would start soon.

“The State Government are very keen for that to get up and for the titles to be granted in regards to that part,” Cr Wass said. “They are practically waiting for us to provide them with the title to the land.

“So next calender year the plan is to set up the medical centre, which will be a big step forward for the site.”

Once the titles are granted for the health centre, the council will be required to pay the balance of the land purchase price to the State Government — about $1.35 million.

Already one of Tasmania’s worst performing councils financially, after posting deficits for the past seven-years, the extra $1.35 million in debt is expected to be a burden for Kingborough.

But Cr Wass said the cost had already been accounted for in the council’s books, and would not affect its ultimate financial position.

“That’s been accounted for in the budget we just did,” he said. “It’s a major project for us. There could be an infrastructure spend of $90 million. It will create 640 jobs and this will help fill the void that Vodafone leaving has left in the community.”

Vodafone quit its Kingston operation in 2015 and began moving workers to a new customer-service centre in the Hobart CBD.

Cr Wass said at the recent Australian Local Government Association national general assembly he had again lobbied for federal funding.