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Deal meeting is welcomed
HAT Cities Minister Alan Tudge will hold talks today about the long-promised Hobart City Deal is good news for our capital. Despite new Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s assurances that his administration was committed to the continuation of the negotiations, the fact is the City Deals program was very much a creation of the Turnbull Government and so there was a risk Hobart could have missed out as the goalposts changed when Malcolm Turnbull was dumped in August.
But, fortunately, it seems things remain on track — with the four Greater Hobart mayors today due to sit down with Mr Tudge and Treasurer Peter Gutwein to continue discussions.
And it also seems the rubber might finally be hitting the road, with expectations there could be some detail circulated before Christmas (although it’s most likely the announcements themselves will be timed to coincide with the general election, due sometime in the first half of next year).
Reporter Jack Paynter’s exclusive story on Page 7 today also reveals the Hobart City Deal has now been scoped down to six interlocking areas: the future of Macquarie Point, the Greater Hobart Act to force the four councils to work together where necessary, the Antarctic Precinct that would likely be situated at Macquarie Point, the $400 million University of Tasmania STEM Centre, public housing initiatives (important), and transport — including light rail.
It is on this last point that Prime Minister Morrison has appeared to be wavering. In an interview with the Mercury during his brief visit to Hobart a month ago, Mr Morrison was far less enthused about the light rail
These projects are not going to solve all of our problems. But all would be welcome additions to our growing capital city.
component of the City Deal than his predecessor. Instead, Mr Morrison was most excited about the science and research elements of the plan. The Mercury believes both are important.
Critics of the City Deals paint them as little more than a political stunt, a way to bundle commitments the Federal Government should be making anyway into a single grand announcement just to win votes. And while there is no denying the politics involved, the reality is the City Deals already in place have delivered for the communities they targeted (Townsville, Launceston and western Sydney).
The case for a Hobart City Deal has been well made as a way to build on the city’s established strengths and to address some of our longstanding weaknesses. It is a vision for our strongest industries of the present and our future. A deal promises to co-ordinate action on the capital’s most pressing needs.
Putting an agreement in concrete form makes it a priority. And the fact that it would stay in place whoever wins government means putting it outside the turbulent election cycle.
These projects are not going to solve all of our problems. But all would be welcome additions to our growing capital city. And they would also come with some substantial federal cash under a City Deal. We would be crazy, then, to not keep pushing for it.
Today’s meeting is the first real sign that the new administration is Canberra remains committed to the Hobart Deal. We welcome that.