School closure policy threatens economic growth and viability of rural communities

Mr McKim’s school closure policy is putting at risk 650 potential new jobs in the Fingal community.

Hard Rock Coal Mining wants to invest $40 million into a new coal mine on the outskirts of Fingal, and in the process create hundreds of desperately needed new jobs. Read more »

Polytechnic: Minister must guarantee frontline teaching jobs won’t go

Nick McKim must guarantee that the 50 positions he is about to scrap at the Tasmanian Polytechnic will not be frontline teacher positions. And he should also come clean on the number of fixed term teachers who we know have been told they will not have a job in 2012. Read more »

Giddings confirms schools will close

In today’s Advocate Ms Giddings makes it clear that Tasmanian schools will close.  It is the cold hard reality that we have been warning about.

The Green-Labor Government still has an agenda to close schools in order to meet their budget black hole. Read more »

Mussleroe a welcome development for the North-East

I welcome the long overdue announcement that the Mussleroe wind farm is one step closer to being built.

The Mussleroe development is good news for a region that has faced a number of challenges in recent times including a downturn in the forest industry and the threat of school closures.

The development represents one of the best opportunities for renewable energy development in the country and has the potential to create hundreds of much-needed jobs and assist the Northern and North-Eastern economies during a time of uncertainty.

For too long, the Green-Labor Government has failed the North-East, and while the Liberals welcome the Mussleroe development, we recognize that there is still much to be done to get the North-East back on its feet again.

The Government must now work to ensure that there are future projects in the pipeline that will foster investment, create jobs and importantly keep families in the region.

Regional communities, like the many found in the North-East, are the lifeblood of Tasmania, and the Liberals urge the Green-Labor Government to stop focussing on shutting down industries like they have with Forestry and instead focus on growing our economy through attracting more investment and jobs.

Libs would rebuild TAFE and save $30 million

We don’t need a review of vocational education and training to know that ending the duplication and inefficiencies created by a split system is a good thing – particularly when it could save $30 million.

Tasmania only needs and can only afford one government owned VET provider. Read more »