Tasmania’s Department of State Growth will be abolished and replaced by a fresh entity, Building Tasmania, in a sweeping overhaul of the state’s public service announced Tuesday by Premier Jeremy Rockliff. The restructuring is projected to save “more than a quarter of a billion dollars” and will result in the elimination of 250 full-time equivalent positions, according to the government.
The changes, detailed in Rockliff’s State of the State address and a message to the Tasmanian State Service, represent a “total transformation” of the department established in 2014, Rockliff stated. Building Tasmania will assume responsibility for infrastructure delivery and will similarly incorporate the state housing authority, Homes Tasmania.
“Building Tasmania will deliver the roads, housing and infrastructure our state needs to be fit for the future,” Rockliff said. The new department will report to the current Infrastructure and Transport Minister, Kerry Vincent.
Alongside the creation of Building Tasmania, a separate entity encompassing Tourism, Events and Creative Tasmania, including Brand Tasmania, will also be established. The Department of State Growth previously reported to seven different ministers across thirteen portfolios, including Infrastructure and Transport, Energy and Renewables, and Economic Development.
The move comes as the state grapples with cost blowouts and delays on major infrastructure projects, including the replacement of the Spirit of Tasmania ferry. Rockliff framed the restructuring as necessary to ensure the state service is “best placed to deliver for the Tasmanian community” with an “agile, streamlined and a client-centred focus.”
Craig Limkin, Secretary of the Department of State Growth, will begin exit on March 7, with Shane Gregory appointed to act as secretary during the transition. A working group is being established to oversee the implementation of the changes, though no specific timeline has been announced. The government indicated that functions within the Department of State Growth will be realigned with its 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future, and a new Economic Development entity will be created.
