Call for detail as deadline on deal nears
ALL three levels of government have just one week left to submit an implementation plan for the Hobart City Deal, which will set out key milestones and time frames for projects, including elements of the Macquarie Point redevelopment.
The Hobart City Deal was signed on February 24, with a commitment made that a jointly prepared implementation plan would be delivered within six months.
Federal opposition cities and urban infrastructure spokesman Andrew Giles told the Mercury time was running out for the plan to be submitted within the agreed time frame.
“When it was announced earlier this year, stakeholders criticised the Hobart City Deal as falling short of what is required with scant detail and missed opportunities,” he said.
The $1.43 billion deal included a promise of funds for an Antarctic and science precinct at Macquarie Point.
Tasmanian Labor senator Carol Brown said Tasmanians would expect details and hard deadlines for projects like Macquarie Point.
Yesterday, the Mercury revealed that after spending $850,000 refurbishing their office over the past several years, the Macquarie Point Development Corporation staff had relocated to a new office space.
The former office has now been leased to two private companies, including one founded by a recent MPDC board member.
Independent Member for Clark Andrew Wilkie said the leasing of the former MPDC office to a former board member wasn’t “a good look”.
“This whole saga has been one long episode of relying on federal handouts and stuffing up a project that in any other city would have been delivered by now,” he said.
Premier Will Hodgman defended progress at the site.
“It’s a really big job — a lot of work has been done — we’ve had a masterplan reshaped and released this year — it’s going to be assessed by the Tasmanian Planning Commission,” he said.
“We have to get it right, it’s perhaps one of the greatest opportunities for our state so it needs to be done properly.”
Mr Hodgman said he could not say what process was undertaken for the leasing of the former offices and was “seeking further advice”.