Island boom stress fears

KING Island is on the cusp of a boom driven by a new abattoir, golf tourism and a potential resumption of mining at Grassy, but Labor says the small Bass Strait community needs help to cope with a forecast jump in population.

Opposition regional development spokeswoman Anita Dow MHA said the government needed to help the island prepare for new major developments which are expected to see the population swell by 200.

There is already a housing shortage on the island — a stark contrast to a decade ago when the closure of the JBS abattoir at Currie saw workers leave the island in droves.

Ms Dow said the government needed to work with islanders to address concerns over housing stress and access to training to ensure the success of a number of major projects on the horizon.

King Island acting mayor Julie Arnold agreed the major developments planned would present challenges but said the council was already working with the State Government.

“The council has been proactively working with the State Government on a number of issues and the funding of the Accommodation Study is evidence of this,” Councillor Arnold said.

“We are keen for these studies to be integrated with both State and Federal government to ensure substantial support can be gained from both levels of government,” she said.

“The $11.6m King Island election package of initiatives that are currently being delivered by the Tasmanian government will also assist King Island address some of its challenges.”

Ms Dow said she, Labor leader Rebecca White and Braddon colleague Shane Broad held meetings with the council and island business, industry and community groups recently.

“King Island is on the verge of major boom with a new abat- toir set to open mid next year, the expected reopening of the scheelite mine and development of visitor accommodation and facilities including the Cape Wickham Links,” Ms Dow said.

“The King Island Council estimates these developments will increase the island’s population by more than 200 over the next two to three years, yet King Island locals have some serious concerns which need to be addressed in order to prepare for this influx.

“King Island is experiencing a very tight housing market and temporary workers are also finding it difficult to secure accommodation which often leads to project delays.

“The problems will only get worse once these new developments get under way and planning needs to start now to ensure these issues are resolved.”

Ms Dow said locals hopeful of gaining employment through these new ventures were having difficulty accessing training. “One of the key concerns raised during our visit was the lack of skilled workers on the island for the new abattoir,” Ms Dow said.

Cr Arnold said she would follow up on Ms Dow’s concerns about training to see what can be done.