Big facelift ‘for jewel in crown’
A MAJOR investment in the state’s East Coast will be delivered by the Liberal Party if it retains government at the election on May 1.
Premier Peter Gutwein announced on Wednesday a Liberal government would invest about $35m into tourism and health infrastructure in the region.
The largest part of the investment would be $14m towards the development of a new visitor gateway for the Freycinet National Park.
The gateway would include a new, state-of-the-art visitor centre, a transport hub and a shuttle bus service to the Wineglass Bay Car Park to address traffic and parking issues.
Mr Gutwein said Coles Bay was “the jewel in the crown of the East Coast” and the upgrade would be a major boost for the area.
“The gateway will enable better traffic management to occur across the town … it will provide a focal point here in Coles Bay that’s going to ensure that when visitors arrive they are provided with the opportunity to understand the very best of what’s available here, but importantly provide services that will be world class,” he said.
The announcement also included a $6.8m commitment to Maria Island to upgrade its water, sewerage and power systems and $7.5m towards building a new police station at St Helens.
The region’s health system would also benefit from almost $5m to bolster staffing and upgrade equipment at East Coast hospitals, as well as the construction of a new helipad near the St Helens Hospital.
The funding package also included $1m to resurface popular driving route Wielangta Rd, along with $600,000 in grants towards a statewide electric vehicle charging network.
East Coast Tasmania Tourism CEO Rhonda Taylor welcomed the proposal after a trying year for the region.
“This is very exciting news,” Mrs Taylor said.
“The communities here have had a very, very tough year.
“The East Coast is actually the sixth most dependent region on tourism in Australia and that’s really important to note.”