Hobart's status as an international Antarctic gateway and base of Antarctic and Southern Ocean science has been put in focus at the inaugural Antarctica Meets Parliament event today.
Minister for Small Business, Trade and Consumer Affairs, Guy Barnett, said the event was the first of its kind in Tasmania.
"We have seen through the success of the annual Science Meets Parliament program that bringing the scientific community and political decision makers together can help strengthen the sector," Minister Barnett said.
"Antarctica meets Parliament provides a great opportunity to bring together scientists and parliamentarians on why Antarctica matters to Tasmania, Australia and around the world.
"This sector employs more than 1100 people and contributes more than $204 million to the Tasmanian economy each year however, the Tasmanian Antarctic gateway is more than just a logistics hub for Antarctic expeditioners.
"Science is at the heart of the gateway and Tasmania has developed an international reputation of specialist expertise and excellence in Antarctic and Southern Ocean issues.
"The breadth of knowledge and expertise in Tasmania's Antarctic science community is enormous and draws on collaboration from many research partners locally and further afield.
"This is not a sector we are going to quietly let be eroded, in fact we are fully behind it. We call on all those in the industry as well as the Tasmanian and Australian parliaments to back our international Antarctic gateway and its scientific community."
Antarctica Meets Parliament is a partnership between the Tasmanian Government and the University of Tasmania.
