Tasmanian Business Reporter September 2018
Welcome to the September edition of the Tasmanian Business Reporter. After a crazy week in Federal politics, this month you'll read about the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce's request to new Prime Minister Scott Morrison for action on more than $133 million of promises made to Braddon in July's by-election. You'll also find details of Tasmania's construction boom, which is predicted to continue for the foreseeable future, the launch of I-PREP, a University of Tasmania program set to align businesses with talented international students and a powerful column from TCCI Chair Susan Parr reinforcing the Chamber's call for local council amalgamation.
Welcome to the September edition of the Tasmanian Business Reporter.
After a crazy week in Federal politics, this month you'll read about the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce's request to new Prime Minister Scott Morrison for action on more than $133 million of promises made to Braddon in July's by-election.
You'll also find details of Tasmania's construction boom, which is predicted to continue for the foreseeable future, the launch of I-PREP, a University of Tasmania program set to align businesses with talented international students and a powerful column from TCCI Chair Susan Parr reinforcing the Chamber's call for local council amalgamation.
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<strong>Tasmanian</strong> <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Reporter</strong> - SEPTEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 3<br />
Building<br />
activity<br />
through<br />
the roof<br />
TASMANIAN building<br />
approvals and construction<br />
activity are through<br />
the roof with statistics<br />
indicating the boom<br />
will continue for the<br />
foreseeable future.<br />
There are $1.8 billion<br />
worth of commercial<br />
projects under construction<br />
across the state and<br />
a further $2.8 billion are<br />
in the planning stages,<br />
Building and Construction<br />
Minister Guy Barnett<br />
said.<br />
Mr Barnett said employment<br />
in the building<br />
and construction<br />
sector was at its highest<br />
ever level, with an average<br />
of 23,200 employed<br />
in the industry.<br />
The Government has<br />
set a target to increase<br />
the number of people<br />
employed in the building<br />
and construction<br />
sector by 25 per cent<br />
over the next five years<br />
and also boost the number<br />
of apprentices by 40<br />
per cent by 2025.<br />
“The latest ABS figures<br />
show that Tasmania<br />
has recorded the<br />
highest growth rate in<br />
the nation in respect<br />
to new residential construction,<br />
with a 22 per<br />
cent increase in the value<br />
of new residential<br />
work done in the 2017-<br />
18 financial year, compared<br />
to the previous<br />
year,” Mr Barnett said.<br />
Cranes are a welcme addition to the Hobart skyline.<br />
<strong>Business</strong> open to international students<br />
BUSINESS has responded<br />
to the opportunity to<br />
open their doors to talented<br />
and enthusiastic<br />
international UTAS and<br />
TasTAFE students.<br />
The formal launch<br />
of I-PREP at the IMAS<br />
Waterfront Building,<br />
Battery Point, recently<br />
welcomed the first 19<br />
participating employers<br />
who are being encouraged<br />
to offer international<br />
students internships.<br />
Close to 100 people attended<br />
the launch by Department<br />
of State Growth<br />
Secretary Kim Evans<br />
representing Treasurer<br />
Peter Gutwein.<br />
Mr Evans said the <strong>Tasmanian</strong><br />
Government financially<br />
supported the<br />
project because of the<br />
range of opportunities<br />
it presented - giving international<br />
students the<br />
opportunity to engage in<br />
and make a valuable contribution<br />
to <strong>Tasmanian</strong><br />
workplaces.<br />
“For business to grow,<br />
they must be willing to<br />
“Not only is this the<br />
highest growth rate in<br />
innovate and explore<br />
new ideas and ways of<br />
thinking,” Mr Evans<br />
said.<br />
“I-Prep helps <strong>Tasmanian</strong><br />
businesses open<br />
their doors to talented<br />
and enthusiastic international<br />
students, unlocking<br />
benefits for both the<br />
students and their businesses.<br />
It connects business<br />
with people that<br />
bring with them fresh<br />
ideas and enthusiasm.<br />
“And of course, it<br />
gives students, both<br />
the country, but it is also<br />
five times higher than<br />
UTAS and TasTAFE, a<br />
real world job experience<br />
and new skills.<br />
“We know from our<br />
Population Growth<br />
Strategy that for many<br />
international students<br />
there is a desire to remain<br />
in Tasmania following<br />
their graduation.<br />
“International education<br />
now contributes<br />
$376 million to the<br />
state’s economy, Tasmania’s<br />
fourth largest export<br />
earner.<br />
“Tasmania now hosts<br />
Writers<br />
head to<br />
Tamar<br />
TASMANIA on the Global<br />
Page is the theme for<br />
the biennial Tamar Valley<br />
Writers Festival, which returns<br />
this month.<br />
Since the inaugural festival<br />
in 2014, the Tamar<br />
Valley Writers Festival has<br />
grown to become one of<br />
Australia’s largest regional<br />
writers festivals - boosting<br />
tourism in the region.<br />
The Tamar Valley Writers<br />
Festival runs from<br />
Friday, 14 to Sunday, 16<br />
<strong>September</strong>, and further information<br />
is available at<br />
www.tamarvalleywritersfestival.com.au.<br />
the national growth rate<br />
of 4.4 per cent.”<br />
Housing finance<br />
commitments in Tasmania<br />
grew for the seventh<br />
month in a row, the<br />
total number of building<br />
approvals was 27<br />
per cent higher in June<br />
<strong>2018</strong> compared to the<br />
previous year, while<br />
dwelling commencements<br />
were nearly 10<br />
times the national average.<br />
“These results are<br />
fantastic, not just for<br />
the building and construction<br />
industry, but<br />
the entire <strong>Tasmanian</strong><br />
economy,” he said.<br />
“We have introduced<br />
our nation-leading and<br />
industry supported<br />
building reforms, which<br />
make it faster, fairer,<br />
simpler and cheaper to<br />
build in Tasmania.<br />
The independent<br />
Building Confidence<br />
report by Professor Peter<br />
Shergold and Bronwyn<br />
Weir, released earlier<br />
this year, shows that<br />
Tasmania is well ahead<br />
of the rest of Australia<br />
in ensuring the level of<br />
regulatory oversight for<br />
building work matches<br />
the risk to public health<br />
and safety.”<br />
The Housing Industry<br />
Association also<br />
has a positive outlook<br />
for Tasmania’s home<br />
building industry, forecasting<br />
a 4.8 per cent<br />
increase in new home<br />
starts during <strong>2018</strong>-19.<br />
about 5400 intentional<br />
students through University<br />
and TasTAFE.”<br />
The 19 inaugural<br />
business are Stornoway,<br />
Marinova, Crowe<br />
Horwath, Anglicare<br />
Tasmania, Australian<br />
Computer Society, Eastside<br />
Lutheran College,<br />
Houston’s Farm, Community<br />
Transport Services<br />
Tasmania, Hobart<br />
City Council, Enterprize,<br />
Cricket Tasmania, Glenorchy<br />
City Council,<br />
Oak Possability, Migrant<br />
Resource Centre,<br />
Masonic Care Tasmania,<br />
Honey&Fox, Leishman<br />
and Associates, Metro<br />
and Calvary Hospitals.<br />
The university’s new<br />
Industry Engagement<br />
Co-ordinator Penny<br />
Stringer is excited about<br />
the potential of the initiative<br />
and is aiming to<br />
enrol 100 internship positions<br />
by the end of the<br />
year.<br />
For more information<br />
email Leap.Connect@<br />
utas.edu.au<br />
NEWS<br />
Mac<br />
Point<br />
reveals<br />
first<br />
move<br />
CONSTRUCTION<br />
will soon begin on Mac<br />
Point’s first significant<br />
new development – a<br />
mixed use interim build<br />
incorporating innovative<br />
office space, a restaurant,<br />
an Aboriginal space,<br />
and cultural and creative<br />
community uses.<br />
Core Collective Architects<br />
has submitted a<br />
development application<br />
for the Long.House project<br />
on the corner of Davey<br />
and Evans Sts.<br />
If approved, the<br />
$700,000 project will<br />
stand for five years while<br />
planning continues for<br />
the permanent builds under<br />
the bold $2 billion<br />
Mona vision or 30-year<br />
reset master plan - which<br />
takes in sections of the<br />
working port, Cenotaph<br />
and Regatta Grounds.<br />
Architect Ryan Strating<br />
said the Long.House<br />
project was a unique<br />
“pop-up” mixed use creative<br />
Hobart hub exploring<br />
inter-cultural and<br />
inter-disciplinary co-creation.<br />
The central focus of<br />
the Long.House will be a<br />
community cooking and<br />
pop-up restaurant space<br />
by renowned chef Luke<br />
Burgess.<br />
The Long.House will<br />
include office space for<br />
start-ups, creative and architectural<br />
businesses, as<br />
well as businesses with a<br />
specific innovation and<br />
sustainability focus.<br />
The Long.House will<br />
also include a cultural<br />
and performance space.<br />
The project originated<br />
from a Registration of Interest<br />
process the Macquaire<br />
Point Development<br />
Corporation conducted<br />
during October 2017.