He said a company is seriously considering building a major manufacturing plant on Tasmania’s North-West coast, creating hundreds of jobs.
Mr Aird spoke to the media this morning about his secretive $50,000 trip to Europe, aimed at buttering-up the proponent of the mystery North-West project and potential financiers of Gunns’ Tamar Valley pulp mill.
Mr Aird would not name the company that is considering building in the North-West, or even the country where it is based.
He said Tasmania was competing against two northern hemisphere countries for the plant, which would mean “hundreds of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars investment”.
His trip included a presentation to the company and a site tour of a similar operation.
“I think if I hadn’t gone to make the presentation we would have been eliminated in terms of the alternatives that the company is considering,” Mr Aird said.
“When you consider that this company was probably considering 20 or 30 locations in the world and we’re down to the last three I think it shows that we are a serious contender for this business.”
Mr Aird would not give details of the proposed development, but hinted that green opposition would be unlikely.
“It’s a manufacturing plant and it does use some of our natural resources, but I don’t think there is going to be any controversy over that,” he said.
The unnamed company was expected to make its decision before Christmas.
Mr Aird said he had promised the company infrastructure and other assistance including skills training.
He met yesterday with Federal Trade Minister Simon Crean and Industry Minister Kim Carr in Melbourne to finalise a State and Commonwealth “support package” to help lure the company to Tasmania.
“It’s about jobs, not jobs for this generation but for our kids and our grandchildren,” Mr Aird said.
