There is little doubt Tasmania is experiencing its own version of A Tale of Two Cities.
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While it is not quite as dramatic as “the best of times … the worst of times”, the disconnect between the thriving economic conditions in the South and the stagnation in the North is becoming more and more apparent.
Hobart, on the back of several years of strong growth, mostly in the construction and tourism industries, is booming.
Even the North-West Coast – long the state’s unemployment whipping boy – is on the up, thanks, in part, to a strengthening in forestry and mining industries.
With the exception of Errol Stewart’s Silo Hotel development and Josef Chromy’s planned hotel development, Launceston’s economic outlook is relatively threadbare.
While the University of Tasmania’s planned relocation to Inveresk and the expansion of that site is welcome news, it is somewhat in the offing.
A bridge between what is happening now and breaking ground there in a couple of years’ time is welcome.
The state government’s $100 million Northern Economic Stimulus Package, involving $60 million in interest-free loans to councils to bring forward infrastructure projects that might have been a few years away, should be welcomed.
Treasurer Peter Gutwein said the scheme was expected to support more than 700 jobs if the full amount was taken up by councils.
One, of course, might question if the building of footpaths or public spaces a couple of years ahead of schedule will be enough to drive truly sustainable growth.
Launceston was historically the seat of commerce in Tasmania – something Northerners should be proud of.
But clutching to history and waiting for good times to reemerge while doing the same thing we have always done is not a recipe for success – it is The Myth of Sisyphus writ large, to continue the literary theme.
Northern Tasmania needs to really ask itself; what is its competitive advantage in a modern economy?
What do we and can we do that is better than other regions of the state and other regional areas of the country?
Higher education, innovative IT business, super premium produce and tourism experiences spring to mind and are starting to gain traction.
Let’s hope this is the start of real and sustained growth for the North.