A QUICK trip to Tasmania this week made me realise Australia is a very special place in the world. The visit saw an assembly of the top brass at a lunch in Hobart organised by the wonderful Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, one of the six orchestral jewels of the nation. Most of the movers and shakers were there, although Lara Giddings, the energetic Premier, sent an apology because she was at a budget session.
Victoria owes a lot to the Apple Isle. Imagine the St Kilda Football Club right now if it could find another Darrel Baldock. And Charlie reckons Hawthorn would have to move Buddy Franklin to centre half-forward if another Peter Hudson popped up.
Today Tassie is a great place to live – not leave. One of Australia’s leading cardiologists told me after the lunch that he moved to Hobart because he can fit so much into each day, unlike his oncologist sister here on the big island who spends two hours a day in a car.
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But what has all this to do with media and marketing? Well, in case you haven’t noticed, the high-speed broadband has started in Tasmania and given the state a big advantage. The super-fast speeds mean that, right now, Tasmanian businesses can deal in the national and international business world faster than the rest of us and on a par with international competitors or better.
At a time when anyone can do their job from anywhere, suddenly Tasmania could be at the centre of our nation. After all, Warren Buffett has famously built his empire from his home town of Omaha, Nebraska, even driving home for lunch. You can do that in Hobart and Launceston, too.
But I wonder if Tasmania will take full advantage of this free kick.
Many of us love the Apple Isle – and apples – but there are some interesting asides. For instance, ABC radio has not yet introduced its digital radio channels to Tasmania. Melbourne and Sydney have theirs and Canberra is just starting. Communications Minister Stephen Conroy could be a hero in Tasmania by pushing the ABC along a bit.
There’s been an argument in the newspaper world over the outsourcing of subeditors, that powerful breed of journalist that finds the mistakes in this column that Louise misses. Well, now you could set up a subediting industry in Hobart or Launceston to edit every paper in Australia and even beyond, with unmatched data transmission speeds. And if you think the weather will frighten people off, look at Boston, where they have serious snow but are still able to have Harvard and MIT.
Tasmania can be anything but it will require a bit of pushing by the Tasmanians and a bit of leadership from their politicians. The new Premier is up to it, and suddenly two of our most powerful politicians are not only the Prime Minister and Treasurer, but Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie and leader of the Greens Bob Brown. I think Tasmanians want to see them both focus on building Tasmania as a centre for the new business world, using this high-speed broadband advantage.
I was only in town for a little while but got the feeling the locals don’t think the message is getting through. Willkie and Brown are clever people, and if they make building new business a top priority for their island state it would really prosper, as would the island nation.
Harold Mitchell is the executive chairman of Mitchell Communication Group.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/business/apple-isle-holds-the-seeds-of-a-hightech-future-20110630-1gsxv.html#ixzz1QtNmfwG6
