Launceston’s City Deal is set to be signed within weeks after the city council endorsed the agreement at its Monday meeting.
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The Examiner understands the deal, which will also be signed by the state government and federal government, will include the creation of a water body focused on the Tamar River.
The goal will be to maximise investments such as the Northbank redevelopment with the new body to develop a prioritised series of actions that would be funded and implemented in the short term.
Launceston mayor Albert van Zetten said the deal encompassed projects like the $18 million first stage of the Launceston City Heart Project and the $260 million University of Tasmania Northern campus project,
“The term of the Launceston City Deal is five years, with scope for further engagement at the end of that timeframe,” he said.
“There is a major focus on job creation and investment in intergenerational infrastructure projects. However, the deal also includes initiatives across regulatory, environmental, social, cultural and economic spheres.”
Launceston is one of only three cities in Australia included in negotiations in the City Deal program which is an outcome of the federal government's 2016 Smart Cities Plan.
The first deal to be signed was for Townsville in Queensland which will be delivered over 15-years.
It was signed in December with the implementation planning phase currently underway.
“The Townsville City Deal is providing a new approach for all levels of government to work together to plan and deliver transformative outcomes for Townsville and its residents,” the Townsville City Deal said.
“For the first time in Australia, there will be a city-level shared vision for Townsville … priority projects will support economic growth, deliver major infrastructure, create new and sustainable jobs, and enhance the liveability of the city.”
Alderman van Zetten said the Launceston City Deal was a paradigm shift in terms of delivering an outcomes-focused strategic framework.
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