THE government says it is in an "advanced stage" of recruiting an Infrastructure Tasmania boss, with an appointment expected by Christmas. Prime Minister Tony Abbott will today call on premiers to speed up their infrastructure plans at a Council of Australian Governments meeting in Canberra. News Limited has reported the prime minister's call will coincide with Treasurer Joe Hockey spruiking Australia's contribution to an international growth agenda at the G20 summit in Washington. Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding told an Estimates hearing last month the office of Infrastructure Tasmania was "the centrepiece" of the Liberal government's approach to infrastructure developments. The office will be tasked with identifying and prioritising new investments in roads, ports, rail and transport projects, which are eligible for public funding. Its chief executive will be charged with developing a statewide freight strategy and ensuring government money is spent strategically. Expressions of interest for the position closed on August 22, and Mr Hidding last month said an announcement was "not that far away". Infrastructure Tasmania was expected to be up and running in the final quarter of this year. A government spokesman yesterday confirmed the timing had not changed, with the office to be operational some time between now and the end of December. Opposition infrastructure spokesman Craig Farrell has questioned the need for the new infrastructure recruit. "Does Tasmania really need another highly paid public servant when the expertise most likely exists within government agencies?" Mr Farrell said. "It is an appalling double standard at a time when the government says we need less bureaucrats, not more." Mr Farrell said the Liberals were being "gun shy" about installing a chief executive to the post as 1200 public sector jobs faced the government's axe.
THE government says it is in an "advanced stage" of recruiting an Infrastructure Tasmania boss, with an appointment expected by Christmas.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott will today call on premiers to speed up their infrastructure plans at a Council of Australian Governments meeting in Canberra.
News Limited has reported the prime minister's call will coincide with Treasurer Joe Hockey spruiking Australia's contribution to an international growth agenda at the G20 summit in Washington.
Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding told an Estimates hearing last month the office of Infrastructure Tasmania was "the centrepiece" of the Liberal government's approach to infrastructure developments.
The office will be tasked with identifying and prioritising new investments in roads, ports, rail and transport projects, which are eligible for public funding.
Its chief executive will be charged with developing a statewide freight strategy and ensuring government money is spent strategically.
Expressions of interest for the position closed on August 22, and Mr Hidding last month said an announcement was "not that far away".
Infrastructure Tasmania was expected to be up and running in the final quarter of this year.
A government spokesman yesterday confirmed the timing had not changed, with the office to be operational some time between now and the end of December.
Opposition infrastructure spokesman Craig Farrell has questioned the need for the new infrastructure recruit.
"Does Tasmania really need another highly paid public servant when the expertise most likely exists within government agencies?" Mr Farrell said.
"It is an appalling double standard at a time when the government says we need less bureaucrats, not more."
Mr Farrell said the Liberals were being "gun shy" about installing a chief executive to the post as 1200 public sector jobs faced the government's axe.
