The Treasurer and Minister for Economic Development, Michael Aird, has announced he will leave tomorrow on a seven-day European jobs mission aimed at securing two major investment projects for Tasmania.
Mr Aird said the State Government was determined to expand the Tasmanian economy and the visit had the potential to help bring hundreds of new jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of new investment.
“We have to seek new investment because we are competing with other locations around the world,” Mr Aird said.
“We are managing the Tasmanian economy and supporting jobs in the face of the biggest global economic challenge in more than 60 years.
“This is reflected in Tasmania having the lowest unemployment rate of all states – and if we want to keep it, we must put forward our case for new investment and jobs.”
Mr Aird will visit the European headquarters of a major multi-national corporation considering a significant new job-creating project on the North-West Coast.
He has been asked to deliver a presentation to the company’s board outlining why Tasmania is an ideal place for it to make a major investment worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Senior Australian Government officials will also join this meeting in a joint effort to demonstrate the Australian case for this project. The secretary of the Department of Economic Development will also attend.
Mr Aird said the Government is unable to disclose further details of the proponent or project at this stage due to commercial-in-confidence reasons but will do so at the first opportunity.
While in Europe, Mr Aird also will meet potential financiers of the Gunns pulp mill proposal.
Mr Aird’s involvement in the meeting was requested by Gunns.
“I will be outlining the State Government’s strong commitment to the pulp mill project and I will be making it clear we want the jobs and investment it would bring,” he said.
“I will not be offering financial support for the project.”
Mr Aird said he was disclosing the nature of his meetings now and to the fullest extent possible in the interests of transparency and accountability.
“I am being transparent in my dealings and informing Tasmanians of the steps the Government is taking to secure our economic livelihood,” he said.
Michael Aird, MLC Treasurer
