The Hodgman Liberal Government is delivering on our Plan to Build Tasmania’s Future.
Today I am releasing the fourth quarter update for AGENDA 2016, which shows that we are delivering on our commitments in key areas such as jobs and skills, health, education, and supporting Tasmanians in need.
A raft of major 2016-17 Budget measures are being delivered, including the Northern Cities Project that is helping to rejuvenate Launceston, Burnie and Devonport, with major developments helping to generate jobs and boost local economies.
In the area of Jobs and Skills we commenced the $21.5 million major construction program for the Huon Highway/Summerleas Road interchange in January, and we have completed the state-wide, single planning scheme a year ahead of schedule that will ensure Tasmanians a faster, fairer, simpler and cheaper way of developing and building.
Our One Health System improvements are helping to deliver a health system Tasmanians deserve. This includes $29.5 million for the employment of clinical initiative and psychiatric emergency nurses and the deployment of extended care paramedics.
The Hodgman Government understands education is a building block to Tasmania’s future prosperity and we have now commenced round three of the schools to extend to years 11 and 12, which brings the total number of high schools to 30 – far exceeding our original commitment of 21 schools to year 12 by 2018.
And, we are continuing to focus on supporting Tasmanians in need. We have completed the three year roll-out of the working with vulnerable people checks across Tasmania, and our Out of Home Care reform initiatives continue to progress, including a new foster care accreditation system.
But we understand there is a long way to go which is why, looking to the next 12 months, we have set out more than 200 additional actions we will deliver.
In this next quarter, March to June 2017, a number of actions are already underway including announcing the successful tenderer to build 100 new Metro buses on the North West coast, progress Stage 3 of the Three Capes Track and we have completed a successful trade mission to South Korea and Japan.
The Fourth Quarter update can be found at: http://bit.ly/2016Agenda4QUpdate