It is also well overdue.

The so-called two-speed economy in Tasmania has been well documented for some time, but for whatever reason, the government has been slow to react as well as act.

Let’s just hope the proverbial horse hasn’t already bolted.

Employment opportunities in the North and North-East are extremely limited.

Just this week, the Australian Bureau of Statistics detailed labour force figures showed a 1 percentage point increase in the unemployment rate in North Tasmania to 8.3 per cent.

Compare that with the rest of the state, and the North is definitely lagging.

That’s why sights like Errol Stewart’s imposing yellow tower crane at North Bank are so welcome. You don’t see enough of that in and around Launceston. 

But there is a silver lining.

Things can quickly change if there is enough stimulus to spark a change for the better. The North-West is proof of that. Not that long ago, the coast had a regional unemployment rate nearing 9 per cent. Today it’s just under 6 per cent.

The state government’s $100 million Northern stimulus package could very well be the panacea that’s needed.

The $300 million University of Tasmania redevelopment at Inveresk will help drive a lot of investment in the North. But it could be several years before a sod is even turned. Something needs to happen sooner, rather than later.

But talk of all this investment does come with a warning.

It’s all well and good to throw millions of dollars in government funding at the problem in the hope that it can remedy all our problems. 

But that funding will be wasted if it doesn’t also help drive private investment, that’s more sustainable into the long-term rather than just a quick fix.

With a state election on the horizon, the 10 MHAs based in the North of the state will be highly dependent on making sure their electorates have been well represented – and know it. 

The fate of Will Hodgman’s government may very well depend on it.

The previous Labor government failed the North and paid the price.