We’ve achieved a great deal and we have plenty more to do

Long-term plans for a thriving Tasmania don’t happen by chance, says Will Hodgman

AFTER

3½ years of majority Liberal Government, Tasmania is heading in the right direction.

More Tasmanians than ever before are in work, with over 11,500 new jobs created since the election and 2200 jobs created in the South in the last 12 months alone.

Our economy continues to perform strongly and local businesses are more confident about the future, meaning they are growing and employing more Tasmanians.

Through hard work and good financial management, the state budget is back in balance, meaning we can invest more into improving essential services such as health.

Hospital elective surgery waiting lists are now at record lows, we’ve employed more than 250 new nurses, and are opening over 120 additional beds, with many of those in the South to help take pressure off the Royal Hobart Hospital.

Of course, we’re rebuilding the Royal to deliver an extra 250 beds in a state-of-the-art facility.

The number of students achieving their Tasmanian Certificate of Education is up, and we’ve extended 30 high schools to provide Year 12 since we came into Government, giving more kids the education they need to be their best in life.

These gains haven’t happened by chance.

We are delivering the plan we took to the last election and it is delivering positive results.

But despite these gains, I don’t think for a second this is as good as it gets.

While the unemployment rate is down, that means nothing to someone still looking for a job.

The improvements we’ve made to our health system don’t matter to someone waiting longer than they should have to in a hospital emergency department.

And though we’ve taken action to reduce power prices, which are actually now lower than when we came to Government, the cost of living remains a very real issue for Tasmanians.

So now we’re focused on the next stage of our longterm plan for the state. It’s a plan to build your future.

It clearly outlines our priorities: building a stronger economy; creating even more jobs; taking action to keep the costs of living down; investing more into health and education; supporting Tasmanians in need; keeping our communities safe; protecting our way of life; building the infrastructure our

We want to ensure our state remains one of the most affordable in the country to live, especially for the elderly and those on low and fixed incomes.

state needs for the future. It’s a plan that contains 43 specific ways we’ll improve the lives of you, and your family.

I firmly believe that our best days are ahead of us, and our plan details our vision for the state.

It’s a Tasmania where our unemployment rate is the lowest of any state, with more job opportunities for young Tasmanians.

It’s a plan to ensure we have the lowest energy prices in the country; the cost of government services — like your car rego or bus fares — are kept at or below inflation; and in it we commit to no new taxes. We want to ensure our state remains one of the most affordable in the country to live, especially for the elderly and those on low and fixed incomes.

Under our plan we are committed to being the healthiest state in the nation, with smoking, obesity and suicide rates down.

While we have rebuilt our police service — and Tasmania is already one of the safest places in the country to live — in our plan we commit to reducing the serious crime rates across all measures to be the lowest in the nation.

We will triple the number of affordable homes for people needing a roof over their heads.

And we will increase the long-term average investment in public infrastructure by about $70 million extra each year — to build our roads, bridges, schools and hospitals.

We will take over TasWater to keep prices lower for Tasmanian households, and deliver better services sooner.

And we will make the state self-sufficient in renewable energy through more investment in wind power, and with the vision of Tasmania being the energy battery for the nation.

This is just a snapshot, and though the next election is not due until next year, I want people to know about the next stage of our long-term plan for Tasmania now.

It is the plan for a re-elected majority Liberal Government.

It’s a plan to build your future; to improve the lives of you and your family.

And it’s a plan to take Tasmania to the next level.