Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I reflected just a little while ago in my address-in-reply speech today, actively engaging with, listening to and working collaboratively with organisations and individuals leads to the delivery of much-needed projects which can and do make a demonstrable difference in the communities we represent. I'm proud of the projects delivered throughout my first term and of the diligent work undertaken over the past few years to secure funding for additional projects to roll out in this new term of parliament. The clubrooms at the Exeter Showgrounds are just one example. It is the home of a true agricultural show, which has been running for over 100 years, a hub of local cricket and football and the host of the monthly Exeter Village Markets for many months of the year. The showgrounds and the clubroom are utilised by the community year-round but have not been fit for purpose for some time.

I initially met with Show Society President Trevor Clark and other committee members in 2019 to discuss their plans for a new show and recreation centre and I continue to meet regularly with the society as they finalise the design, which will see up-to-date facilities for wider community use and will particularly cater for the rise in female sporting participation. The Tasmanian government committed $735,000 to the project and, after many months of advocacy to the then coalition government on the merits of the development, I secured the additional $1½ million needed through the Community Development Grant Program.

Over the past few years I've also worked with the Flinders Island Council on key projects, including upgrades to the airport and beginning the Safe Harbour project. After the council flagged with me the need to prioritise upgrading the airport so that it was fit for purpose and could meet the needs of the community, I worked closely with them to deliver these upgrades while looking to scale the Safe Harbour project. I fought for and earlier this year secured the additional $600,000 necessary through the Community Development Grant Program for the project, which, like the Exeter Show and Recreation Centre, will benefit their local communities. I trust that the new government will support the completion of both.

During the recent election period I was pleased that Labor acknowledged the value of three significant health projects that I've spent the last three years working on by matching my three announcements, which will deliver better health outcomes and end-of-life care for the community. The creation of northern Tasmania's first dedicated medical research and innovation centre, led by the Clifford Craig Foundation, as well as the establishment of a standalone palliative care unit after 15 years of advocacy from a determined community group and the rollout of a pilot post-cancer survivorship program from the W P Holman Clinic, will become a reality. I thank all stakeholders across three projects for working with me over the past three years to bring these projects one step closer to fruition. I look forward to working with the new government to ensure the delivery of these commitments to the community.

One of the most significant projects announced during the election that was also matched by Labor is the $70 million investment to develop a hydrogen hub in Bell Bay. As a George Town local and former mayor, I know what this hub means for the future of the town and the manufacturing precinct. I've worked closely with local industry and hydrogen industry representatives over the past few years to ensure that Bell Bay could be a site, and the establishment of a hub will create hundreds of highly skilled jobs, expand export opportunities and generate huge economic benefits for our whole community. There is so much potential with this project, and I would urge the government to begin the necessary work to get the hub off the ground.

George Town will also see the delivery of a $15 million community aquatic health and wellbeing centre, a development supported by both parties. The centre will include a 24-hour gym and fitness rooms, an indoor and outdoor pool for recreation purposes, and much-needed hydrotherapy services for the region. Importantly, the centre will also provide low-cost consulting rooms for allied health and rehabilitation services. It will enable NDIS participants to better utilise the funding packages in George Town, meaning that vulnerable members of the community can access services in the area.

Finally, the iconic Waverley woollen mills, Australia's oldest working textile mill, established in 1874, will get a new lease on life with a $6 million injection to redevelop the facility, transforming it into a state-of-the-art facility at the forefront of sustainable wool recycling. This funding, again supported by both parties, will secure 150 jobs and the future of an iconic manufacturing facility beloved by our community.

I look forward to watching these commitments roll out across northern Tasmania within this term of the government.