The Rockliff Liberal Government welcomes Labor’s support for finalising the Marinus agreement.
The agreement will see Tasmania secure a 17.7 per cent stake in the project with an estimated investment of around $117 million.
This is a very good outcome for Tasmania securing over $1.3 billion in economic activity and 1,400 jobs in the state.
It’s pleasing Labor has changed its position on Marinus, from claiming it’s ‘throwing good money after bad’ to now supporting the agreement being finalised.
But it is very concerning that Labor now plans to sell our stake in the project on completion in 2029 and waste Tasmania’s investment by setting up a new power company to compete against Hydro.
The last thing we need is to gut Hydro and set up yet another government owned business with even more highly paid fat cats.
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will unshackle Hydro from its Labor-Green Ministerial Charter.
It was Hydro who built this state’s world class energy system.
Under the Liberals it will be Hydro - not a wasteful new government owned business - that will help build Tasmania’s next generation renewable energy assets.