The Northern Tasmania Development Corporation is an initiative of the Break O’Day, City of Launceston, Flinders, George Town, Meander Valley, Northern Midlands and West Tamar councils and aims to progress development in those regions.

The corporation is also supported by the Launceston Chamber of Commerce.

NTDC chair John Pitt said  the corporation believed unemployment and economic status in Northern Tasmania was a significant problem that needed to be addressed.

“The current situation is unacceptable...we have to urgently do something about it,” he said.

Mr Pitt was responding to the launch of The Examiner’s Driving Our Future campaign on Monday that will aim to start conversation and address the issues and challenges the region faces in regards to unemployment and economy.

The key question the campaign is asking is: What will future proof Tasmania for the next generation?

Mr Pitt said while it was an urgent issue for the whole state, the statistics regarding Northern Tasmania as a region were often even more dire than those for other regions in the state.

Issues such as youth unemployment were particularly alarming.

“Our focus primarily is about economic growth,” he said.

“We believe that if you create a community to empower business it will help the economy.”

Mr Pitt said the role of NTDC would be to assist the community and the region to develop a culture that supported small business.

“If we can encourage development we can encourage economic growth,” he said.

He said while it was important investment in Tasmania continued, there were some things the community could do to assist that investment.

“If the community can encourage that, use their social licence, then it goes a long way in the business community. They are encouraged because they know the community is behind them.”

NTDC is based in Launceston.