ROSS HART A CULTURAL DIMENSION

ROSS HART MEMBER FOR BASS

A Shorten Labor Government will build upon the Launceston City Deal by investing $20 million in key projects through our City Partnerships program.

This extension will ensure ongoing collaboration with local government, local businesses and local communities through to 2027 and will also include the development of a Cultural Strategy for Launceston.  

Labor sees Launceston’s future as one of the world’s leading regional cities, with a vibrant cultural lifestyle that embraces the arts, performance, business and sporting achievements, with a unique Northern Tasmania feel. 

Albert Hall Cultural and Convention Centre

As part of the extension Labor will invest $10 million towards reinvigorating the Albert Hall into a multi-purpose convention, events and performance centre.

The Albert Hall is an iconic community space for Launceston and this new investment will reinvigorate it to provide a 500 seat plus cultural and convention centre for Launceston whilst retaining its important heritage aspects and service to the community as a public meeting place.

This critical investment will enable the City to attract a broad range of cultural and business events, ensuring that Launceston fully capitalises on Tasmania’s tourism boom.

The revitalised space would include two commercial kitchens and the capacity to host multi-day conventions with break out spaces, potentially catering for more than 1,000 people, a major expansion on the City’s existing capacity. 

Growing visitation to 350,000 people annually is central to Labor’s vision for business growth and new jobs in Northern Tasmania.

The Albert Hall revitalisation will be done sensitively, working with the whole Launceston community to design something that Launceston residents can be proud of.

A new Northern Suburbs Community and Recreation Hub

In addition, a Shorten Labor Government will invest $10 million towards making a new Community & Recreation Hub in Launceston’s Northern Suburbs a reality. The new Community & Recreation Hub will provide community support and recreation activities and will be located in Mowbray, on Invermay Road. 

The Community & Recreation Hub will provide a range of non-recreational programs in multi-use spaces, ball courts, a gym, boxing, climbing and skate and cycle sports indoor.

The addition of new court space for basketball will help to address the current lack of supply in Launceston. 

An outdoor soccer pitch is also proposed, whilst an indoor skate and cycle sports centre will be unique to Tasmania.

It is expected the new hub will be visited by 300,000 people each year, including by many people who would otherwise not have the opportunity to participate in the activities on offer. 

The concept for the Community & Recreation Hub has evolved from community consultation out of the Northern Suburbs Revitalisation Strategy, a part of the Launceston City Deal. 

This is another major commitment from Labor to Launceston’s Northern Suburbs, coming on top of recent announcements of $3.5 million to transform and rebuild TAFE at Alanvale and a $30 million commitment towards establishing a new Maritime Defence, Innovation and Design Precinct at the Australian Maritime College in Newnham.

Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery as a Cultural Institute

Labor will also work with the City of Launceston, the Launceston Chamber of Commerce and other key stakeholders to progress the development of a cultural institute based at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Wellington Street, with important linkages to Launceston’s iconic Gorge. It is envisioned the new institute will create magnetism for Launceston as a cultural destination for all Tasmanians and visitors.

Multi-Sports Arena

Labor also appreciates the very real need to improve Launceston’s capacity to host significant indoor national sporting tournaments, be a home for national level court-based teams and provide more capacity to host large music concerts and performances. 

Throughout this campaign Labor has delivered significantly superior commitments for Northern Tasmania, having committed more than double the funding promises of our Liberal opponents who seem to have forgotten Northern Tasmania exists at all. 

Labor’s superior Bass commitments include:

• $35 million for a new 32 new bed sub-acute care unit co-located with the Launceston General Hospital, to address bed block and ambulance ramping.
• $15 million for a new Community Mental Health Hub in Launceston with 25 acute care beds, relieving pressure on the LGH Emergency Department.
• $1 million for upgrades to the Launceston General Hospital Emergency Department to address ambulance ramping.
• Bringing 100 new doctors, nurses and health workers to Northern Tasmania.
• Investing in Hydrogen Production & Export at Bell Bay through Labor’s $1.14 billion National Hydrogen Plan, with the potential for thousands of new local jobs.
• $30 million to establish a Maritime Defence, Innovation and Design Precinct at the Australian Maritime College in Newnham, creating 150 new jobs each year.
• $47 million to construct new overtaking lanes on the West Tamar and Frankford Highways and two new roundabouts at Exeter.
• Upgrading the Sideling to B-Double standard, creating a wider and straighter road with new passing lanes.
• $5 million to build a co-work premium Tasmanian fermented food and beverage factory at Legana, supporting 350 new jobs.
• $12 million extra for local public schools in Bass.
• $3.5 million to transform and rebuild TAFE in Northern Tasmania to allow for the modernisation of course delivery across a range of key trades, including electrotech, construction, metal trades and automotive as well as new facilities and simulation equipment for nursing, aged care and disability support courses.
• $4.4 million for the George Town Mountain Bike Trail, bringing jobs and tourists to the region.
• $3.6 million to reconstruct and seal Palana Road on Flinders Island.
• $3.55 million to improve Dalrymple Road and The Glen Road, including better bridges.
• $3.5 million for equipment upgrades at Timberlink, securing 200 jobs.
• $3 million to redevelop the Beauty Point Foreshore making it more attractive for locals and visitors.
• $2 million to fix Mobile Black Spots, including at Trevallyn, Greens Beach, Kelso and Grindelwald.
• $2 million for improvements at local grassroots AFL and soccer grounds including Churchill Park, Windsor Park, Birch Avenue, NTCA, Rocherlea Football Club, Bridgenorth Football Club, George Town Football Club, Hillwood Football Club, Scottsdale Football Club and Bridport Football Club.

• $2.45 million to finish the Regent Square Redevelopment.
• $300,000 for trails at the Hillwood Foreshore, between George Town and Low Head, and a new Coastal Trail.
• $220,000 to upgrade boat ramps at Weymouth, Tomahawk and Musselroe Bay.
• $400,000 for two new Mountain Bike Pump Tracks, one for George Town and one for Scottsdale, to expand growth in mountain bike tourism.
• Building the Tamar-Pipers irrigation scheme, delivering 6,500 megalitres of water to local farmers, as part of a state-wide investment of $100 million to create up to 3,900 new jobs.

• Fully funding the Gravelly Beach Structure Plan.
• Funding to support the Greens Beach Community Hub proposal.

This election is a choice between Labor’s plan for local investments in Northern Tasmania to fix the health crisis, rebuild TAFE, create new jobs and build vital infrastructure, or a $35 million cut to Tasmania’s hospitals to pay for bigger tax loopholes for the top end of town under the Liberals.

After six years of Liberal cuts and chaos, our united Labor team is ready.

THE HON ANTHONY ALBANESE MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, CITIES AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

SHADOW MINISTER FOR TOURISMMEMBER FOR GRAYNDLER