Today marks another missed opportunity to leverage Tasmania’s competitive advantage and to grow our IT sector and invest in Tasmanian’s long term future.

Senator Helen Polley has echoed the Australia Institute Tasmania’s concerns that investment has yet to be made into a long term prosperity building project. The Intercontinental Data Pipe would be connected from Tasmania to Sydney, to Perth through a fast fiber optic cable which would then be connected to high speed global networks.

After a Federal Coalition Government Budget and a State Liberal Budget this major prosperity building project now remains uncertain.

“Tasmania is currently experiencing a boom in tourism, the building and construction sector and retail sales, but these are short term boom sectors and Tasmania has nothing to fall back on,” said Senator Polley

“Tasmania has an opportunity here to invest in the intercontinental data pipe, which means investing in local people, investing in education and investing in small business all at the same time,” Senator Polley said.
Tasmania must become a digital economy hub, building on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and maths) sectors to promote Tasmania to the world.
Labor understands that we must make important public investments to secure future opportunity and prosperity. You can’t grow an entire economy for the benefit of all Tasmanian’s without making core investments in digital infrastructure.
The intercontinental data pipe could be connected so easily and could open Tasmanian’s up to enviable opportunities. This data cable will allow for high quality, reliable and ultra-fast data assisting small business and industry to grow faster.
“If Tasmania were to secure this investment it would see Tasmania as a digital economy hub and would attract international business,” Senator Polley said.
The IT industry is calling on Government to support this project because they understand the potential it has to assist in the development of their businesses and to connect Tasmania to the world in an unprecedented way.
“Labor is calling on this Hodgman Government or the Federal Coalition Turnbull Government to make an investment of $20 million. A small price to pay to leverage Tasmania’s competitive advantage,” Senator Polley said.
SENATOR HELEN POLLEY SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE LEADER (TASMANIA) SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR AGEING SENATOR FOR TASMANIA