Let’s not be victim of pier pressure
Hobart is a premier gateway to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean, but we need urgent investment to maintain that status,
GREATER Hobart loves its working port and is rightly proud of its role as the nation’s gateway to the frozen continent. Remember the community’s fondness for the Aurora Australis icebreaker? There was genuine sadness when the iconic Orange Roughy retired after a long career supplying stations in Antarctica and sailed out of its home port for the last time.
One of the jewels in the crown of Greater Hobart’s economy is our position as the gateway to Antarctica. Greater Hobart has so much going for it in regards to the Antarctic and science sector.
Our port is one of the deepest natural ports in the world and is perfectly positioned on the Southern Ocean rim.
We’re home to the world’s greatest concentration of Antarctic scientists and scholars, who earn almost twice the Tasmanian average. We’re also very proud of the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, located on the Hobart waterfront and ranked as the number one location to study the Southern Ocean and Antarctica.
Research icebreakers not only from Australia and France, but Korea, the US, Italy, China and Japan regularly call here. Each icebreaker supply visit to Hobart is worth up to $2m to local suppliers who live and work in businesses based in Hobart, Clarence, Glenorchy and Kingborough.
The impact of this sector also extends beyond the major Antarctic and science organisations.
The Tasmanian Polar Network – a membership-based organisation comprising more than 70 entities from the Tasmanian Antarctic community – demonstrates the breadth of private business, educational institutions, research bodies and government agencies that can leverage Greater Hobart’s Antarctic and Southern Ocean expertise to deliver local jobs across numerous sectors.
While Hobart’s Antarctic and science sectors are strong and growing, their long-term future in Hobart cannot be taken for granted.
As mayors we support State Development Minister Guy Barnett’s ambition for Greater Hobart to become the world’s leading Antarctic gateway.
To achieve this vision, however, we need to work to secure and deliver the investment required to keep Hobart as a world-class science and research city, and a focal point for international, national and private Antarctic and science research organisations.
A major upgrade of Macquarie Wharf is a key part of this work, and as partners to the Hobart City Deal, the Greater Hobart councils are keen to work with the state and commonwealth governments to make these upgrades happen.
The wharves at Macquarie Point are ageing and cannot properly support our new icebreaker, the world class Nuyina or the shipping requirements of Australia’s Antarctic Program, much less fulfil Greater Hobart’s ambition to become the world’s leading Antarctic gateway.
Infrastructure Australia last year included the Hobart port upgrade on its priority list, and agrees the substandard port infrastructure at Macquarie wharves 4, 5 and 6 is limiting opportunities to grow tourism, trade and Antarctic exploration sectors.
They note that the wharf assets are approaching end of life and require significant maintenance each year to sustain a minimal service level.
Recently, TasPorts and the Lord Mayor of Hobart hosted
Infrastructure Australia on an inspection of the wharves and the Tasmanian port authority is finalising a business case. We mayors look forward to the business case being submitted to Infrastructure Australia, allowing the project to progress to an investment-ready stage and the commonwealth government to consider it for funding in the budget.
We look forward to welcoming back the Nuyina to Hobart and want Antarctic icebreakers to remain a permanent
The wharves at Macquarie Point are ageing and cannot properly support our new icebreaker, the world class Nuyina or the shipping requirements of Australia’s Antarctic Program, much less fulfil Greater Hobart’s ambition to become the world’s leading Antarctic gateway.