Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Brown for her continued interest in creating jobs and opportunity in Tasmania. As part of the Tasmanian forest intergovernmental agreement with the Commonwealth, it committed $120 million for economic diversification over 15 years; in 2012, $24 million in funding and assistance for a range of economic diversification projects, and that includes the Tasmanian Innovation Investment Fund; $8 million for 28 businesses, creating 267 jobs; and economic diversification projects, including $16 million for 10 projects. And, on 17 May, the Prime Minister announced that the government would increase the economic diversification funding to $100 million to be delivered over four years. These things are being delivered in Tasmania because of the changes in the economy, including changes in the forest industry, and because the Gillard government has listened to industry. The jobs and growth plan will bring new opportunities— (Time expired)