Roger Jaensch,Minister for Skills, Training and Workforce Growth
Tasmanians living in the State's North East have a new low-cost transport option to get to work or training, making it easier to find and keep a job.
Connecting regional Tasmanians with education and employment commitments is a priority for the Tasmanian Liberal Government; that is why we are investing in alternative transport options in the regions.
Part of our Government's $20.5 million Working Tasmania package, these Area Connect services will give more Tasmanians more options to access work or training, help people to overcome barriers to employment, and connect employers with local job seekers.
Area Connect fills a gap where there are no other convenient transport options, or when regular transport services are not running, so people can get to where they need to be for work or learning.
Working in partnership with our Regional Jobs Hub Network, the new service will cover areas in and around St Helens and the greater north-east region.
Demand for the service is already high with Area Connect buses completing 500 trips in other areas of the state in March this year alone, and this number will grow as the services expand.
Area Connect is being rolled out across the Regional Jobs Hub Network, which aim to assist more than 2000 additional Tasmanians into work over the next three years.
As each service comes online it will be tailored to specific community needs and integrate with other public transport options to make journeys as seamless as possible.
We expect services to be operating in all regions across Tasmania by mid-2022.
The North East Area Connect service is now open for business and users can contact Break O'Day Employment Connect Jobs Hub on 03 6311 1742 or visit at 48 Cecilia St, St Helens, or www.bodec.org.au
