The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, is calling on the State Government to stop shipping jobs to the mainland and start using local companies for the $590m redevelopment of the Royal Hobart Hospital.
“Despite local firms being ready, willing and able, the vast majority of the redevelopment’s design work has been tendered to interstate firms,’’ he said.
“At a time when the state economy has stalled and the State Government is sacking public servants including nurses, why is it sending the lion’s share of the RHH redevelopment work interstate?
“This is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Tasmania’s history and provides a golden opportunity to kick start the local economy and provide local jobs, not to top up the bank accounts of interstate firms.’’
The State Government is about to tender the major construction works for the RHH redevelopment and will hold information forums next week for prime and sub contractors.
“I’m calling on the State Government and Department of Health and Human Services to genuinely consider local firms for the major works to keep the economic stimulus in Tasmania, where it’s so desperately needed,’’ Mr Wilkie said.
“The design work for future stages should also use local architectural and engineering firms. Yes, some hospital rebuild expertise needs to be imported. But the fact that almost all the design work has so far gone to mainlanders is unnecessary and a blow for the local economy.
“The economic spin offs from a project this large are huge and local firms would keep the benefits in the local economy.’’
Mr Wilkie said he’d this week met representatives from Tasmania’s engineering and architectural sectors and was assured the local industry had the expertise and capacity to take on such a large project.
“I’ve spoken to local firms that have workforces of more than 100 people and they tell me the State Government completely underestimates their capability when it comes to big projects,’’ he said.
“It’s madness that so many contracts are going interstate when work is drying up and Tasmanian companies are sacking workers and apprentices, who are the future for our state.’’
Mr Wilkie said the State Government had a habit of tendering to interstate firms to the detriment of the local economy.
“Just yesterday the Department of Treasury’s annual report revealed it awarded 50 per cent of its contracts to interstate firms and local firms only picked up $2.9m of the $9m worth of work,’’ he said.
“If the State Government wants local business to invest with confidence and help rebuild the state economy, it needs to lead by example and show some confidence in local business.’’
