Hobart airport improvement plans take wing under City Deal

Important
progress has been made on turning Hobart’s airport into an international
gateway, the first annual report of the City Deal has revealed.

The 10-year
agreement between the Federal and Tasmanian governments and the Hobart,
Clarence, Glenorchy, and Kingborough councils was signed in 2019.

It aims to deliver
initiatives valued at nearly $890 million across seven key focus areas:

• Supporting the development of a direct international gateway at the Hobart Airport;
• Establishing an Antarctic and Science Precinct at Macquarie Point;
• Implementing the Greater Hobart Transport Vision;
• Driving urban renewal and delivering affordable housing;
• Activating the Northern Suburbs Transit Corridor;
• Enabling a smart, liveable and investment-ready City; and
• Collaborating and providing strategic governance by establishing and implementing a Greater Hobart Act.

According to the annual progress report 2020, the Glenorchy City Council is progressing its CBD revitalisation project, and the Kingborough Council (together with the Tasmanian State Government) is implementing the $20.8 million Kingston Congestion Package.

Welcoming
the report’s release last week, Clarence City Mayor and former LGAT President Doug
Chipman said the Greater Hobart Act had already become a reality, underpinning
more collaborative and strategic planning for the city’s future.

“We now have
an enduring piece of legislation that ensures a framework of collaboration
between the region’s local governments for generations to come,” Cr Chipman
said.

Glenorchy City
Mayor Kristie Johnston said the Tasmanian Government’s recent commitment of $68.5
million to redevelop the Derwent Entertainment Centre through the Deal,
including $20 million for a community four-court multisport facility, was
exciting news for the city.

Kingborough
Mayor Dean Winter said work on the Kingston Congestion Package was already underway,
building on existing transport infrastructure in the Kingborough area to reduce
congestion.

“We’ve
started work on a Kingston Place Strategy to guide the revitalisation of the
Kingston CBD, with construction on other upgrades like park and ride facilities
at Huntingfield and Firthside set to start by the end of the year,” Cr Winter
said.