Peter Gutwein,Treasurer
Tasmania has never been such a good place to live, work and invest than it is today. But there is more to be done to ensure all Tasmanians share in the benefits of a strong economy.
Today’s CEDA speech was an opportunity for me to outline how strongly the economy is performing and what opportunities this represents for Tasmania.
Under the Hodgman Liberal Government’s long-term plan, Tasmania’s economy is growing at the fastest rate per capita in the nation, business confidence is high, and nearly 250,000 Tasmanians are employed, while the unemployment rate is down to around six per cent.
The Government is supporting growth in our economy by making record job-creating investments into infrastructure, record levels of investment into our health system, and supporting our strong tourism industry, which has seen international visitation almost double in the past five years.
With a strong economy, businesses are more confident, leading to more jobs, and Tasmania is now a more desirable state to live. As a result, Tasmania’s population is growing at its fastest rate in nearly a decade, at 1.1 per cent last financial year, almost three times higher than the long term average to 2014. This growth is in stark contrast to the last year of the Labor-Green Government, when net interstate migration figures showed that 551 Tasmanians left the state.
But there is always more the Government can do to ensure this success continues, and the Government is committed to sensible budget management and spending less than we earn to ensure that all Tasmanians can feel the benefits of a strong economy.
