Busy skyline a symbol of record-setting boom

TASMANIA’S building and construction sector is continuing to boom with a record number of cranes now visible on Hobart’s skyline.

Vos Construction’s tower crane — being used for the VIBE Hotel development — brings the total number to six, which eclipses the previous record of five cranes in Hobart.

Last month, the Mercury highlighted Tasmania’s booming construction sector was expanding at record levels with more than $8 billion worth of building projects on the cards in the next five years.

There are 68 high-value developments either under construction or consideration within the next five years and these projects have the potential of creating almost 12,000 jobs.

Hobart is a hive of construction activity with the Parliament Square and Hyatt Centric Hotel developments that are nearly completed.

Building and Construction Minister Sarah Courtney said this achievement was not by accident.

“Under the Government’s nation-leading policies, investment and jobs in the building and construction sector are at record level highs, and red tape is being cut, making it easier, faster and cheaper to build across our state,” she said.

Ms Courtney said the latest ABS data showed that in the year to September 2018, the value of construction work completed increased by 11 per cent to $2.9 billion, which was nearly seven times higher than the growth rate in Australia overall.

“This strong growth cou- pled with Tasmania being the fastest growing economy, per capita, in the nation, is leading to increases in business confidence and jobs,” she said.

“As at October, there were 2300 jobs created this year — that’s more than 250,000 Tasmanians in work.

“The Government has a tar- get to increase people employed in the building and construction sector by 25 per cent over the next five years, and to enable this we are extending the Payroll Tax Rebate Scheme and Small Business Grants for Apprentices and Trainees Program to employ more people into the sector.”