Media Release

Peter Gutwein MP
Shadow Treasurer

Wednesday 18th January, 2012

Govt mismanagement hurting building industry

ABS figures released today show that Tasmania’s vital building industry is suffering from the Green-Labor Government’s economic mismanagement.

The value of building work done in Tasmania has collapsed for the fifth consecutive quarter, a decline of more than 20 per cent since the Green-Labor Government came to power.

It’s understandable that Tasmanians aren’t confident when we have a Green-Labor Government that is shutting down businesses, destroying entire industries, cutting jobs and has failed to fix the chaos in the planning system.

This collapse could have long-term impacts, with skilled workers either giving up or moving interstate to find work in places like Victoria or Western Australia where the value of building work is increasing.

The Liberals have a plan to restore confidence in the economy and encourage Tasmanians to build and invest in their State by supporting our crucial industries like forestry, reducing the cost of living and the cost of doing business by putting downward pressure on power prices and water and sewerage prices, and streamlining the planning system mess with a single state-wide planning scheme.