Guy Barnett,Minister for Primary Industries and Water
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is immediately entering into an MOU agreement with the University of Tasmania to deliver a nation-leading agricultural precinct in Northern Tasmania.
In our Plan for our first 100 days, we committed to begin work with the University on a partnership plan for this exciting project in Launceston. Today we are delivering on that commitment.
Agriculture is one of our most important industries and a success story. It is the lifeblood of our regional communities, employing more than 7500 Tasmanians and we have a bold target to reach a farm gate value of $10 billion by 2050.
In the most recent ABS figures released this month for 2019-20, the total value of Tasmanian agriculture jumped by 14.7 per cent compared to the national figure of 0.4 percent. This includes a 27 per cent increase in crops and a 29 per cent increase in fruit and nuts.
To maintain and boost this momentum the Tasmanian Liberal Government will deliver:
- A partnership with the University of Tasmania to create a new nation-leading Tasmanian Agricultural Precinct in Launceston, with a satellite hub in Hobart;
- Invest $15 million for state-of-the-art research facilities;
- Move an additional 50 DPIPWE roles to the new northern facilities as well as co-locate about 140 existing DPIPWE Northern staff to the new precinct.
- Expand the Strategic Industry Partnership Program with an extra $2 million; and;
- Activate 7.5 hectares of land for the development of more housing.
Our new Tasmanian Agricultural Precinct will be based at Newnham alongside the University of Tasmania's Institute of Agriculture.
Tasmania will be the first jurisdiction in Australia to co-locate agricultural science, water management, industry development and bio-security functions in a single precinct.
The creation of the Precinct and co-location of about 140 DPIPWE staff will allow DPIPWE to activate 7.5 hectares of land in Mount Pleasant – the equivalent of up to 100 building lots - for private, affordable and social housing for Tasmanians.
Development of the new Precinct will also support the move of a further 50 DPIPWE roles to the North over the next five years.
In addition, we will also extend the Strategic Industry Partnership Program with a further $2 million over four years, leveraging the skills and experience of the new Agricultural Precinct.
This Plan is further supported by our existing commitment to invest $7 million over 3 years to upgrade our public research farms, including leveraging $1 million of those funds to work with the fruit industry to support industry led horticulture research, development and extension.
The North, North East and North West are prime locations for agriculture and farming and the Tasmanian Agricultural Precinct at Newnham will bring together the world's best practice in one place, with continued services provided in the North-West and South for the farming and agriculture sector.
Tasmanians have voted for stability and certainty at a time when our State needs it most and we are delivering our clear plan laid out during the election to secure Tasmania's future.
