On this day in 2019, there was great fanfare when the then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison came to Hobart to sign us up to a City Deal - the fourth Australian city to develop one.
This would have been a strong boost for Tasmanian jobs and the state's economy.
As one of the four Greater Hobart Mayors whose signature is still inked on the Hobart City Deal, it is incredibly disappointing to me that the priorities - which largely focussed on transport and housing - still haven't materialised.
There was the Northern Suburbs Light Rail, which has now been scrapped.
There was Hobart's underground bus mall, which still has no location and appears to have been scrapped by the government but they won't admit to it.
There was the fifth lane on the Southern Outlet and associated changes to Macquarie and Davey Streets, which still have not happened.
There were ambitions to make the Tasmanian capital a hub for Antarctic research at Macquarie Point and the development of the University of Tasmania's science, technology, engineering and mathematics presence in the city, to attract more staff and students.
The Antarctic Precinct still doesn't exist, it has no tenants and the future of the site is still clouded, with the Liberals planning a billion-dollar stadium at Macquarie Point.
Once again, the State Government appears disinterested in strategic planning, with their promised state-wide planning scheme still undelivered after almost a decade in government.
Like so many announcements from the Liberals, the City Deal appears to have been forgotten and left to fade from our minds.
What a lost opportunity for Hobart and Tasmania's economy.
Dean Winter MP
Shadow Minister for Economic Development
