• Statemate on project as industries desperate for Hodgman to lead
• Local MP Hodgman leaves his community divided
• Weak Premier abandons industries, leading to a dead end
A complete lack of leadership from the Premier has led to a stalemate on the Southwood Fibre export facility in Dover.
Shadow Minister for Resources Shane Broad said the Liberals’ hands-off approach had led to the Development Application not going ahead.
“Two of the state’s most important industries have taken the extraordinary step of calling the Liberal Government out for its hands-off approach,” Dr Broad said.
“Government requires management and leadership – on this issue the Premier has displayed neither.
“Southwood Fibre has chided the Premier for being completely absent, despite being the local member.
“Despite the divisive rhetoric created by the leadership vacuum, this proposal is not necessarily ‘fish or chips’.
“The Premier as local member seems happy to sit on his hands while the community is divided and industries plead for a hearing to sort through issues.
“Have the Premier or the Liberals done any work on an alternative site?
“The Liberal Government should have injected itself into negotiations between Southwood Firbe and the salmon industry to find a solution to protect and create jobs and give the community confidence before it got to this point.
“Instead – as is typical of Premier Hodgman – the Liberals have weakly abandoned the space and left both industries floundering at a dead end.”
Shane Broad MP Shadow Minister for Resources 6 June 2018
