Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 1 March 2013, the regional daily newspaper of north-west Tasmania, The Advocate, launched its latest campaign, 'Here and Proud'. This campaign follows on from the 'Show Some Respect' campaign that Senator Parry spoke passionately about earlier this week in this place. Editor Julian O'Brien said the campaign was all about reinforcing the message that the north-west coast is a great place to live and work. He said:

It's true, some are being challenged economically at the moment, but there is plenty to be excited about in our community at the same time. "The Here & Proud" campaign is designed to bring into focus the great things that are happening and the great people we have in our region.

There is a short video on The Advocate internet site which features four young ambassadors for the campaign who live and work in the region: Nakore Popowski of Smithton, Natalie Jones of Devonport, Cait Clarke of Sheffield and Alex Matthews of Burnie. The video says:

The north-west and west coasts of Tasmania are rich in history, diversity, our communities and our people. We live in one of the most beautiful parts of the earth, have a great lifestyle and fresh clean air to breathe, every single day.

We have communities who care for our own, our children grow up in relative safety and we have produce the rest of the world can only dream of. Sure times are tough, but they've been tough before and we have come through.

We have new industries rising, innovative and passionate people who care about taking this region to the world. We love this place.

Julian sums up with the words:

Please join our call, we are here and proud.

This is very true of our region. The 'Here and Proud' campaign is a great initiative of our local regional daily and shows the passion Julian has for the region he was born and grew up in. I speak with some authority, having also been born and raised in the region and having lived there all of my life.

I am proud of what federal Labor has delivered to our region. It is true that our region has been doing it tough over the past few years, with the closure of a number of larger employers that had been around for many years. All had employed significant numbers of local workers in The Advocate's coverage area. However, I am very pleased to say that the Labor government, through the constant agitation by local member Sid Sidebottom, has seen the need within our region and delivered for its people.

Sid has been at the forefront of fighting to ensure the placement of Enterprise Connect in Burnie. Enterprise Connect work with manufacturers to help them become more innovative, productive and competitive through advice and support. Over 100 businesses have benefited from this assistance. We have also delivered school upgrades to 63 schools through 95 projects and over $100 million in funding; five new trade training centres in our schools to build skills; $17 million for business innovation, which has created over 330 jobs; significant funding for roads, rail and ports; additional funding for the Mersey Community Hospital; the establishment of the Burnie and Devonport GP superclinics; more housing for the homeless and disadvantaged; funding for the North West Regional Hospital residential accommodation units; more health funding, including funding for elective surgery; approval of the Shree Minerals project at Nelson Bay, which will create around 120 jobs; the sensible decision not to heritage list the Tarkine in its entirety, allowing for mining applications and further job creation; two jobs expos, which have connected people with potential employers and training opportunities and seen 300 people gain employment; and reform for the disability sector through the national disability insurance scheme. I am very excited about the launch of DisabilityCare on Monday. I am particularly excited about the opening of the regional office in Devonport on the north-west coast.

We are also delivering now: a regional cancer centre; a jobs package to help our industries grow and employ more locals; the Devonport indoor aquatic centre; a memorial to recognise the contribution of Darrel 'Doc' Baldock, for St Kilda fans; the rollout of the National Broadband Network, with most households connected in the next year and Tasmania the first state fully connected by 2015; localised decision making and delivery of health services; better school funding for every school, to help our children learn; and improvements to Tasmania's roads, rail and ports, with over $800 million invested, more than double the investment of the previous government.

I am enormously proud to be here in this place as part of a Labor government that has delivered so much to my community, to our community. I congratulate The Advocate on such a fantastic campaign to bring into focus the great things that are happening and the great people we have in our region.