Mark Baker (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today it is more important than ever for members of the Australian government to be supporting regional Australia to drive sustainable economic growth. The keys to economic growth are value-adding, investment, driving business and consumer confidence. The Australian government has delivered economic strengths that allow regions such as Braddon to move forward at a level unforeseen in the recent past. It is my responsibility as the local federal member to facilitate this winning formula into a localised model of investability. By identifying those features of our local region that enhance such positive investment criteria, such as productivity gains, growth and ease of transition, Braddon has an exciting base for economic growth. In other words, it is about ensuring Braddon is competitive overall rather than just pursuing one business or one project.

So what is investability about? Investability is about making the entire Braddon region more competitive overall, which brings with it complementary gains in social, community and economic areas. It is about enhancing the attributes of Braddon rather than trying to pick winners from potential investors. It is about facilitating Braddon’s productivity gains. Global competition will always mean that, no matter how successful a region is in lowering production costs, it will always run the risk of being undercut elsewhere unless there is continuous boosting to the region’s competitive advantage.

To ensure a base for competitive advantage I am proud to say that the Australian government has delivered such positive benefits to Braddon as education initiatives via the Investing in Our Schools Program, an Australian technical college, the University of Tasmania and the rural medical clinical school and agricultural research centre. Some $70 million in road infrastructure improvements, support to our medical facilities with funding for an after-hours general practition centre, business support through training, capital research and development and trade support have also driven a base for economic development in Braddon. Many critical community projects, including water management, environmental management, youth at risk and mental health, have ensured a balance between business and community development in Braddon. The reality is that governments cannot create clusters nor create sustainable competitive advantage alone, but they can help provide the stimulation and institutional and environmental infrastructure and facilitate organic opportunities for the region’s prosperity, which is the basic philosophy and a key part of the Braddon investability strategy.

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