Five ideas that would make a difference to the Cradle Coast region 1. An express commuter bus service links the major population centres The Bass Highway is one of the best regional highways in Australia. Linking the major centres along the highway with an express bus service gives our urban coastal strip the potential to work as one market providing greater access to jobs, services and retail opportunities. An express commuter bus service could extend the employment pool for employers and the customer base for retail outlets. In the longer term, a bus service would help to reduce the region’s greenhouse gas emissions and reduce residents’ fuel costs. 2. The Spirits of Tasmania full of passengers all year round The Spirits of Tasmania are essential infrastructure for Tasmania’s economy. Performance of the TT Line enterprise should not be measured, or driven, by the profit earned from ticket sales, but rather by the number of passengers delivered to Tasmania. The Spirit of Tasmania ferries bring around 120,000 visitors spending approximately $300 million in our state each year. There is potential to double passenger numbers in any given year and achieve flow‐on economic benefits in the region. In recent years TT Line management has shown that this could be possible through targeted initiatives in traditionally quiet shoulder seasons. This requires flexibility with fares, scheduling and promotions and should be pursued ahead of direct profit returns. 3. A long‐term plan for use and protection of our region's water resources Water is our region’s most important natural resource. It is a resource that is increasingly scarce in Australia, has the power to bring people and investment into our region, and is essential for our unique biodiversity and natural environment. This gives our region natural advantages in terms of agriculture, lifestyle and environment. We can only sustainably manage these advantages if we have a plan that allows us to make good decisions. Continued …
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There is a lot of work being done on water use and management in different parts of our region, but no way of bringing all of this information together to guide long term planning and decision making. As part of statewide planning reforms, the government has invested in a Regional Land Use Strategy to guide land use planning decisions in this region. A similar approach is needed for our water resources. 4. More revenue from mining staying in mining communities Our mining towns grew up as company towns and were thriving communities while there was direct company investment in services and facilities. As investments were withdrawn, they weren’t fully replaced by other sources and the local rate base is insufficient to meet community infrastructure and service needs. There are successful models of sustained reinvestment in mining towns around Australia and the world. Consideration should be given to a new way of supporting mining communities and families that doesn’t rely on political lobbying and one‐off commitments. 5. Power prices on King Island the same as elsewhere in Tasmania Residents and businesses on King Island pay nearly twice as much for power as the rest of Tasmania. Equal pricing with the rest of the state would support business growth and provide an equal ground for relocating within the region in order to take up job or lifestyle opportunities. When people or businesses move off King Island in search of cheaper cost of production, they may move north not south which places some of the state’s most iconic brands at risk.
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