Economy
Whereas the others have actually made a transition, Tasmania has been a relative failure …
#4 I think the point is that the same applies practically everywhere. At least it does in all the Australian states.
But whereas the others have actually made a transition Tasmania has been a relative failure.
Take a look around Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth…. There’s an abundance of things that were significant employers a generation ago but are now sitting disused or have been bulldozed completely.
What is unique to Tasmania is that we:
1. Artificially accelerated the decline of some industries. Paper manufacturing (as distinct from exporting woodchips) is perhaps the single largest example in Tasmania.
2. Failed to foster the growth on a sufficient scale of new businesses to replace the old.
3. Passed up some opportunities altogether, choosing to “pick winners” rather than simply going with whatever was actually workable. Some of those businesses are operating right now elsewhere in Australia.
Without those issues, we would not have the troubles we have today.
Perhaps the biggest alarm bell right now is that retirees are starting to do what youth have traditionally done and leave the state. They are coming to the realisation that their adult children won’t be coming back so the oldies are starting to think the same way. Live in Tas by themselves or move to Qld, NSW, Vic or wherever to be near the grandkids and the rest of the family? It’s not a difficult choice when *all* their family has already left and it seems to be becoming more common.
Tasmania desperately needs to stop “picking winners” and get on with the job of making things happen. Some will succeed, some will fail – that’s the very basis of how business works.
The way we tend to think here in Tassie, we’d have rejected Microsoft, Apple and MP3’s as having all sorts of problems whilst handing out subsidies trying to keep a cassette factory in business. The rest of the country just lets the market decide then adapts accordingly – that’s what we need to do.
• Hag: Don’t phone home ET, the number’s changed
MyNetFone has been selected by the Tasmanian Government to supply Voice over IP telephony services to the state, in a three-year deal expected to be worth some $20 million over the period. What does it all mean … Confusion & higher charges for Tasmanians trying to call state government … ??? Let us hope it does not have echoes of the great police phone stuff up ( Mercury here ).
This is how Service Tasmania announced it:
Phones
Many Tasmanian Government phone numbers are changing from October 2013 as part of a move to a new phone system.
000, 1300 and 1800 numbers will not change.
The new numbers will not all begin with the usual 62, 63 and 64, so it’s not a mistake if you see numbers beginning with 61, 65 or 67.
For a quick connection to Government, call Service Tasmania on 1300 13 55 13.
You can also use your Smart Phone to scan this QR code and save Service Tasmania’s details into your contacts, guaranteeing you will have the number on hand when needed.
The change to numbers is due to the withdrawal by the provider of the current spectrum phone technology, which has been used across the Tasmanian Government for more than 22 years.
The Government is moving to a new VoIP (voice over internet protocol) technology, a move that necessitates the allocation of new phone numbers.
The new phone service will reduce costs for Government, with standard calls and rental being less expensive.
From here:
http://www.servicetasmania.tas.gov.au/phones/
Further detail:
Hag has seen $35 – $40 million as the cost of the contract but this article says ‘…some $20 million’ …
This is from an industry newsletter:
MyNetFone supplies VoIP to Tassie Govt
IP telephony and broadband company MyNetFone this week revealed it had been selected by the Tasmanian Government to supply Voice over IP telephony services to the state, in a three-year deal expected to be worth some $20 million over the period.
The State Government – which in the past had traditionally had an extensive relationship with Telstra when it comes to the provision of telecommunications services — is planning to invest in what it described as “next-generation” communications technology with the aim of improving service levels and enhancing productivity.
Opinion/analysis – Renai Lemay:
I was very surprised to see that the Tasmanian Government – a large organisation – had signed this contract with MyNetFone, which is more usually known for its consumer-grade VoIP and broadband offerings. It would be more normal for a state government or large private sector organisation to go to existing business carriers such as Telstra, Optus or Macquarie Telecom for these kind of IP telephony needs.
I will be interested to see whether MyNetFone is able to handle the volume of work which the Tasmanian Government looks to want to throw its way in the area of SIP trunking. If the company is able to handle this load, perhaps MyNetFone has the potential to emerge as an important player in Australia’s corporate telephony market. It will be fascinating to see what emerges from this contract.
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