Mark Baker (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Friday, 1 September I had the pleasure of officially opening the Hellyers Road Distillery Interpretation Centre in Burnie, north-west Tasmania. I know that some believe the north-west coast can be a little chilly sometimes in the winter, but I am sure you will all agree that it was a bold and somewhat surprising move for a milk cooperative to diversify into producing premium whisky! The board of Betta Milk, a great Tasmanian company, was convinced about the merits of this project and over the last eight years has invested in excess of $8.5 million in it.

I am proud to be able to say that the Howard government has supported this endeavour by providing $840,000. A Sustainable Regions grant of $110,000 contributed to the costs associated with the purchase and installation of the bottling plant and a second $730,320 Regional Partnerships grant assisted with the construction of the wonderful visitor centre that I had the honour of opening last month.

As I said at the opening of the distillery, I believe that this project demonstrates much about what Tasmanians should be celebrating in our unique part of the world. The success of Whisky Tasmania shows that businesses in the north-west of Tasmania continue to produce world-class products that can compete on national and international stages. What more proof do we need than the fact that you will soon find premium aged whisky distilled in Burnie, Tasmania, on sale in bottle shops and liquor outlets around the world? Importantly, this project highlights the drive, passion and resourcefulness of the people we have in north-west Tasmania—people like the Laurie Houses of the world. He is the chairman of the board and one of our region’s truly inspiring characters.

The Whisky Tasmania development also shows us how far the local community has come in recent years. Today the north-west coast is a vibrant community, a community which is moving forward and responding positively and with confidence to whatever challenges may come its way. What a change this represents compared with much of the 1980s and the 1990s when business confidence was low, our young people were losing hope of finding work, and commercial successes like the opening of this distillery were few and far between. There can be no better example of where the north-west coast finds itself today than in the opening of this wonderful centre.

The bottling, management and maintenance areas in the interpretation centre are expected to create up to 25 new, full-time equivalent jobs. Another 30 indirect jobs are expected to be created with suppliers in the rural, transport, wholesaling, retailing and tourism sectors in Burnie and throughout Tasmania. This opening represents a testimony to the Howard government and its support of regional Australia. Through Sustainable Regions more than $11 million has been provided to some 38 projects across the north-west and west coasts, assisting many local companies to expand and to create new jobs. This program has provided the majority of the Howard government’s assistance to Whisky Tasmania and I am also told that the $730,320 grant is one of the largest to be allocated under the program in my region.

Regional Partnerships was introduced to help our regional communities by providing financial assistance for organisations with a good idea and lots of community support. I would say that is a fitting description for the Whisky Tasmania project. Since it was launched in July 2003 over 950 community-generated projects have been approved under Regional Partnerships, with grants totalling some $248.6 million. Regional Partnerships funding also attracted $715.1 million of cash and $76.2 million of in-kind contributions from local partners for these successful projects. That is, for every dollar that the Australian government has invested in the program it has attracted over $3 from partners—without doubt a great return on the taxpayers’ investment.

I must also take this opportunity to repeat my congratulations to Laurie House and the board of Betta Milk for their drive and energy in bringing this project to fruition. In concluding—and I am sure they will not mind—please allow me to extend on their behalf an open invitation to members to visit the Hellyers Road Distillery Interpretation Centre in Burnie and maybe enjoy a wee dram of a Tasmanian-made premium spirit.