Activating Flinders, the Islander Way

QUICK FACTS

Funding the landmark regenerative tourism project - the first of its kind in Australia.

Unlocking land for housing for key workers and so more people can settle on the Island.

$1 million grant program across Tasmania for small businesses for capital purchases.

Small grants to support hospitality businesses in regional Tasmania to attract visitors.

More resources for agricultural associations, farmers and agri-food businesses, land care and attracting veterinarians.

$600,000 for an additional police house on Flinders Island.

Early childhood workforce incentives for relocation to the Island.

More teacher and principal housing.

GP Guarantee including incentives to work in regional areas and grants for ongoing viability.

Updated audio visual equipment for the Flinders Arts and Entertainment Centre.

A master plan for the North-East River precinct.

Funding a $125,000 mobile woodchipper for green waste management on the Island.

Under our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future, a re-elected majority Liberal Government will:

Activate "The Islander Way" to kick start the tourism and visitor economy.
Repurpose the old Hydro Station for new housing.
Help small businesses to thrive, innovative and grow.
Deliver a regional Hospitality Revival Fund.
Support Island agriculture.
Provide an additional police house.
Attract early childhood educators and work on co-locating child care with the school.
Upgrade housing for teachers and principals.
Support local health services.
Support local Flinders Island community initiatives.

An important part of our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's future is to ensure our Islands and regions are set up for resilience and growth.

Activating 'The Islander Way'

The beautiful islands that make up the Furneaux group have long histories, traditions and a remoteness that can deliver a real competitive edge.

The Tasmanian Liberal Government funded the landmark regenerative tourism project "The Islander Way" - the first of its kind in Australia - to develop an approach to tourism and the visitor economy that will generate opportunity for years to come for Flinders Island.

A re-elected majority Liberal Government will kick-start the finalised 'Regenerative Framework', which has widespread community support, by providing $600,000 over three years to:

Provide seed funding for the Furneaux Futures Collective - an Island Innovation Hub that will deliver the projects and actions co-designed by the community. This will assist with the development of a visitor-facing website, the hosting of a signature retreat and event, digital media strategy, an app for visitors and residents for information sharing, and a business plan.
Establish a positive impact business activation program, to activate new business opportunities, either individual or part of the Collective, and with coaching and mentoring, to help grow the visitor market.
Build capacity of existing businesses through a community-led Experience Development Program, to develop authentic island-based visitor experiences to encourage more visitors and repeat visitation.

Repurposing the old Hydro Station and activating new housing

The land on which the old Hydro station is situated is around two hectares and has been unused for a number of years now.

A re-elected majority Liberal Government will request that Hydro Tasmania transfer the unused land to the Flinders Island Council, so that it can develop key worker accommodation for industry workers and essential workers.

We will provide Council with $600,000 to help unlock this and potentially other land and develop it for housing, so that more people can settle on the island, stimulating economic activity.

Council will also use the funding to develop a comprehensive Island Housing Strategy that aligns with Council's plans to promote more housing development to support current and future residents.

An existing building on the land would be repurposed by the Council as a community gymnasium to improve the health and wellbeing of Islanders.

Helping Small businesses to Thrive, Innovate and Grow

The success of small businesses in the many communities across Tasmania often depends on their ability to grow, adapt and innovate.

A re-elected majority Liberal Government will deliver a $1 million grant program to support small businesses across Tasmania to thrive, adapt and innovate in their local communities, with grants up to $10,000 for capital purchases, such as new technology, small-scale manufacturing equipment, computers or electronic payment terminals.

Eligibility will be for small businesses registered in Tasmania with fewer than 19 full-time equivalent employees. Small businesses will be asked for a 30 per cent co-contribution towards the purchase price.

The grant program will be established in the first 100 days of a re-elected majority Liberal Government.

Regional Hospitality Revival Fund

We will deliver a $500,000 Regional Hospitality Revival Fund to provide grants of up to $2,500 to support hospitality businesses in regional Tasmania to attract visitors to the region.

Eligible businesses can apply for funding to assist in meeting the costs associated with live performances, event staging, minor works, marketing and promotion, or other initiatives that contribute to their business and help bring visitors to the region.

Supporting Island Agriculture

A re-elected majority Liberal Government will:

Supercharge the Strategic Industry Partnership Program to $3 million providing more resources for agricultural associations, while also providing targeted grants on a co-investment basis to support producers and businesses in the region.
Continue our AgriGrowth Loans Scheme for low-interest loans to farm and agri-food businesses.
Provide loans of up to $250,000 under the Young Farmer Support Package to assist more young farmers pursue agribusiness opportunities.
Remove red tape that restricts the ability of primary producers to provide housing options for workers and offer on-farm residence as part of an employment contract.
A new $400,000 Veterinarian Attraction Package to help attract and retain veterinarians in Tasmania with a key focus on rural and regional areas, including study assistance, work placement programs and study rotations for second or third-year students, subsidised travel and HECS debt support for new graduates.
An additional $1.865 million to continue the important work of Landcare groups around the State, including an expansion of the successful Landcare Action Grants program.

Additional police house on Flinders Island

A re-elected majority Liberal Government will invest $600,000 to add an additional police house on Flinders Island, to support an additional police officer to serve on the island.

This builds on the $22.9 million the Government has already invested in upgrading police housing around Tasmania.

Attracting early childhood educators and relocating child care

To grow the early childhood workforce, a re-elected majority Liberal Government will provide a $2500 incentive for early childhood educators to relocate to Flinders Island.

Further, there will be an additional bonus of $2500 if the worker remains on Flinders Island after a three-year period, plus $2500 for every year after that, up to six years.

We will also direct the Department of Education, Children and Young People (DECYP) to work with local early childhood education providers with a view to co-locating child care facilities with the Flinders Island District High School, providing benefits for long day care and after school care, and providing more support for working families.

Upgrade accommodation for teachers and principals

A re-elected majority Liberal Government will provide funding to either build new, or upgrade, accommodation for teachers and principals on Flinders Island.

We will work with the community on the best model to suit the Island, and its current accommodation needs for housing for these essential workers.

Supporting Island health services

Building a better health system is a cornerstone of the Liberals' 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future.

To assist remote and rural communities to attract and recruit health professionals, a re-elected majority Liberal Government will:

Provide $6 million to secure a new purpose-built base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service at the Launceston Airport, so they can continue to deliver their vital aeromedical health services to our Bass Strait Islands for many years to come.
Deliver our GP Guarantee, including a GP NOW Rapid Response Team made up of 10 State-employed doctors ready to be deployed into local communities where and when needed, in the event of a sudden GP closure.
Attract GPs to work in rural and regional areas, by picking up the HECS debt up to $100,000 for 40 new GPs who commit to working in the State for at least five years.
Partner with GPs in regional and rural Tasmania to strengthen and sustain their practices by delivering multi-year grant funding up to $250,000 per annum. Grants will be flexible, helping GPs to offer extended hours, embed nurse practitioners into their business model, offer added incentives to attract doctors or expand a practice with capital upgrades.
Provide more help through the Patient Travel Assistance Scheme. We have already removed the patient contribution for eligible concession card holders, provided higher subsidies for accommodation in Tasmania and interstate, allowed subsidies to be accessed up-front and provided more opportunities for King and Flinders Islanders to travel to access allied health services. We will also implement an online application to make it faster and easier, and will reinstate support to access private services on the mainland which are not available in public or private sectors in Tasmania.

Supporting local community initiatives