Independent Member for Clark, Andrew Wilkie, discussed the impasse between the Federal and State governments over port facilities for the RSV Nuyina, as well as the possibility of Hobart losing its status as the Australian, and indeed, key international gateway to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean.
“Media reports that the Federal Government has written to the State Government and warned them that the icebreaker will be based elsewhere if Tasmania doesn’t fix the Hobart port is devastating news,” Mr Wilkie said. “Australia’s Antarctic Program is crucial to Tasmania and the basis for many hundreds of science and other jobs. To lose all that because of State Government incompetence and TasPorts’ attempt at price gouging would be a shocking failure of governance, a dreadful blow to the Tasmanian economy and entirely unforgiveable.
“The ball is squarely in the State Government’s court because the Federal Government has committed $240 million to Macquarie Point and wants the icebreaker to remain berthed in Hobart. But it seems the State Government is doing everything to thwart this. The State Government also needs to stop trying to blame Canberra for everything and start solving its own problems.”