A majority Gutwein Liberal Government will partner with industry to unleash a High Vis Army to help Tasmania build the infrastructure our state needs to secure our future.

We have a historic and ambitious infrastructure program that will create jobs and stimulate our economy.

In fact, Master Builders Tasmania estimates that Tasmania’s building and construction industry will build $16 billion worth of private and public projects, along with 30,000 homes over the next decade.

Industry has also told us that to deliver on this plan, its workforce will need to increase by around 25 per cent over the next four years. Tasmania has a huge pipeline of both public and private sector infrastructure and construction projects over the coming years and this presents both a fantastic opportunity but also challenges in terms of having the skilled workforce available to get it done.

That’s why a majority Liberal Government will work with Master Builders Tasmania and the Civil Contractors Federation to increase the workforce available to build Tasmania’s Future.

We’ll do this by:

• Providing $1 million to both organisations each year over four years to attract more workers to the industry and improve skills development;
• Both Master Builders Tasmania and the Civil Contractors Federation will work within their industries to identify skills gaps and work to fill them;
• Working together to broaden marketing and attraction programs to encourage Tasmanians to pursue a career in the building and construction industry, including working with schools;
• Formalising our commitment to improving skills and training with both organisations through a Memoranda of Understanding.
• Releasing a detailed project pipeline every six months to give industry the confidence it needs to plan and hire; and
• Building capacity in the construction and civil sectors which are mainly made up of firms that have six employees or less.

The Civil Contractors Federation will also be supported to work closely with TasWater and its owner councils to ensure there is a consistent pipeline of projects to improve TasWater's infrastructure.

We’ll also encourage the Federal Government to recognise civil trade occupations on the National Skills List.

These measures will unleash our building and construction sector, enabling it to undertake the work our state needs to secure Tasmania’s Future.

It also complements our existing skills and training strategy, including our $98.5 million investment in TasTAFE as well as our recently released $20.5 jobs package, ensuring Tasmanians can get the training and jobs for their future here in Tasmania.

Read the full policy here.