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The Tasmanian Liberal Government is strengthening our economy by investing in transformational infrastructure which will support jobs and allow us to invest more in essential services such as health, housing and education.

This week I announced our intention to build a new arts, entertainment and sporting precinct at Macquarie Point. This is exactly the sort of project our State needs to keep our economy strong, and ensure Tasmania remains the best place to work, live and play.

In fact, the independent PricewaterhouseCoopers report has shown it will:

• inject $300 million into the local economy through construction, and support 4,200 jobs;
• inject $85 million annually and support 950 jobs once operational;
• unlock new industries in the arts, entertainment and sports sectors;
• support retail, hospitality and tourism;
• generate consumption of $162 million per annum, equivalent to 350,000 bed nights;
• enable public transport corridors, including a ferry network; and
• enrich the lives of Tasmanians with events being able to come to our State on a scale never before possible.

We have also taken another step forward in our quest for an AFL licence for Tasmania, with the AFL Commission endorsing our bid, and our strong offer now with the 18 Club Presidents ahead of a final decision in coming weeks.

This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will deliver substantial social and economic benefits for the whole State, and I am confident we will get the right decision that will complete the AFL as a truly national competition, once and for all.

We have also delivered a number of other important initiatives across the past week, such as:

• Officially opened the brand new Antenatal Clinic at North West Regional Hospital;
• Launched a new service to support those experiencing ongoing effects of COVID-19;
• Announced more record results for Tasmanian tourism, with the latest Tasmanian Visitor Survey confirming visitors are spending up big and supporting local jobs and our economy;
• Supported innovative Tasmanian companies to expand and create jobs through the Building Projects Support Program;
• Visited the set of Bay of Fires, which has been fantastic for jobs and our economy, especially on the West Coast;
• Seen the Ministerial Reference Group meet to continue exploring every opportunity and idea to address housing stress for vulnerable Tasmanians;
• Overseen three Tasmanian venues who have been selected in FIFA’s team base camp shortlist for the 2023 Women’s World Cup;
• Released new legislation to better protect our children and young people with public consultation now open for the Justice Miscellaneous (Royal Commission Amendments) Bill 2022;
• Taken another major step forward to deliver our Energy Saver Loan Scheme with Brighte Capital confirmed as the finance partner and program provider;
• Opened the Deloraine Pump Track to the community following a $250,000 commitment to the project from our Government;
• Reopened the Eastern Arthur Range Traverse, Huon Track and the full Western Arthur Range Traverse following a $2.4 million project;
• Awarded more than $420,000 in grant funding through recent Arts Tasmania funding rounds; and
• Welcomed our first My³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ customer and new home owner through the new My³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Shared Equity Program.

And while our Government has been hard at work delivering on the issues that matter to Tasmanians, Labor have embarrassed themselves with a series of gaffes such as being unable to answer basic questions over gaming policy, and incredibly claiming now is not the right time for significant infrastructure investment in Tasmania.

It is clear that only the Tasmanian Liberal Government understands that investment to grow the economy and create jobs enables the Government to invest in the essential services Tasmanians need, and deserve.