MAYOR GREG KIESER: Such an occasion where we're actually announcing construction commencing of the George Town wellness, wellbeing and aquatic centre. This is an absolutely emblematic project for the George Town community, and I'm delighted today to see three levels of government represented; the two major parties, it truly is a bipartisan commitment for the health and wellbeing of the George Town community. Back in 2022 we were successful in raising from the Federal Government $15 million to make this project happen. We were also successful and grateful to the State Government for contributing a further two and a half million dollars, bringing the total commitment to 17 and a half million dollars, which will make this project happen. On behalf of the George Town Council, on behalf of the George Town community, I would just like to once again express my gratitude to all involved for what this will do for our community over the next 40 to 50 years. Having said all of that, I'd like to hand over to the honourable Minister Catherine King to say a few words. 

MINISTER CATHERINE KING: Thanks very much, Mayor. It's terrific to be here with my one of my newest colleagues, Jess Teesdale, who is just a breath of fresh air when it comes to the Federal Parliament. It's lovely having her here in her hometown, or in the part of her electorate, George Town, also my former colleague, Michael Ferguson as well. We spent many times together as transport ministers, but also great to be here in your electorate, Michael and to the Mayor. Thank you very much. There's three levels of government, really a partnership here. I remember coming back in 2022 to make the announcement that an Albanese Labor government would commit $15 million to this pool. And the thing that really impressed me about this project in particular it was, it was really focused on, really helping people as they age in the community, helping young children learn to swim, helping people, NDIS clients in particular, be able to have a warm water pool, to be able to not only have recreational activities, but also rehabilitation. This is a big project for George Town. $17.5 million $2.5 million from the state government, $15 million from obviously the Albanese Labor government. We know how important aquatic centres are right the way across communities. It is where children learn to swim. It is where older people are able to keep moving and keep active within their communities. We hope that this pool, many of the council pools across not just Tasmania, but right the way across the country. They were built in the 60s and 70s, and they have reached end of life. And really what we're trying to do with this program here is have a pool and an Aquatic Centre, a wellness centre that really will serve this community and beyond for the next 40 years. So, having that capacity for school kids to come here, participate in competitions, their parents sitting while their squad swimming goes on, who knows, we might have an Olympic champion come out of the George Town swimming pool into the future. I'm going to hand over to Jess, and then I think Michael's going to say a few words, and then we'll take some questions.

JESS TEESDALE: Yes, thank you, Minister, and it's so wonderful to have you here today. The part I'm most excited about for this pool is what it will actually do for those who are most vulnerable within our community. Just as the Minister said, I'm imagining parents bringing their kids for swim lessons and accessing this pool all year round, that is really integral to get that training up for learning to swim. It's also for those people in our community who will benefit from aqua aerobics, water fitness and help to age in place here in beautiful George Town for as long as they can. And that's what this facility will actually help people to do. I'm also really excited. I was talking to Fairbrother, who are doing the work here. We have local George Town people who have come up through their apprenticeship and working with Fairbrother, who are now helping to build this pool for their community. And as time goes on, we'll also be having more apprentices come through and supporting it as well, a huge opportunity for our community here in George Town and also throughout Northern Tasmania. Thank you so much.

MICHAEL FREGUSON: Well, good morning, and it's so good to be here in George Town, and tremendous to be here together three levels of government, as our Mayor has said, and it's special to see between the Tasmanian Government and the Australian Government, the bipartisan support for a project that really focuses a resource on our community, on the families of George Town and the people who call it home. The reason that the Tasmanian Government has contributed two and a half million dollars towards this exciting wellness and aquatic centre is because we want to support the investment of the council to improve the health opportunities for its local community. We know that there are health challenges for our state, and George Town is no exception to that. And I know that through the partnership, through the leadership of the council, but the funding commitments of both levels of government, we'll be able to make a major contribution to that. I love Catherine's ambition for an Olympian potentially to arise from this community. But isn't it the case that whenever you see a fine athlete like an Ariarne Titmus who trained in Launceston at Windmill Hill, become an Olympian, that is that tip of the athletic iceberg, because so many other people, young and old, have in their own way, been able to improve their fitness and achieve their goals. And I think that that's one of the exciting things that we must forecast out of this project, a renewed belief in health and vigorous activity in our local community. The Tasmanian Government often responds to questions around one big project in Hobart. Did you know that this is just one of 110 projects that we're supporting in the grassroots communities of our state, right around, in the regions, in the towns and suburbs of our beautiful state, at $49 million in just the last year alone. I think it demonstrates that the Tasmanian Government really does want to partner with councils just like George Town and sporting clubs in our regions to ensure that right at the grassroots, we're able to support the health and sporting goals of our local communities. And as I close I just want to concur with Jess, vulnerable people are a big part of this, as well, supporting people who are NDIS clients, people who have chronic health needs, need access, for example, not just to the swimming pool, but also the warm water activities pool, where people can get that therapeutic support over time. This is a game changer for George Town, and rather than November through, say, March, it's going to be all year round. It's going to change the level of access that our community here in George Town have to an all year round health and wellness centre with access to allied health. So, I think it's a big bravo to all concerned. In particular, the council that led with the vision brought us all on board, and in 12 months time we'll be back for an opening and a really true new chapter for health and wellness in the George Town community. Thank you.

JOURNALIST: Could you go over some of the new facilities and features that this aquatic centre will have that the previous pool didn't?

GREG KIESER: Absolutely so the key change from the previous site is this is an enclosed 25 metre swimming pool, so 24 hour, hypothetically, 365 day access. There’s also a warm water program pool specifically catering to our more elderly and youngster community, and then just across the little entrance hall, there's a gymnasium also with two allied consulting rooms, allied health consulting rooms. So again, I just emphasize this is really very much about health and wellness. They say when it comes to health, there's two places to address health, either at the top of the cliff or the bottom of the cliff, and this is very much about fixing or helping our health in our community at the top of the cliff. 

JOURNALIST: I've just got another question. Is there a reason why the existing pool, outdoor pool company… there has been a lot of community I guess, backlash historically on this project. What's your response to that? 

GREG KIESER: Yeah. Look, I don't think that anybody builds a swimming pool which has a high degree of sentimental attachment without ruffling a few feathers. But in our case, the asset had truly come to the end of its lifespan, and so the way that the site works, in terms of the logistics and the economics of the site, it simply made the best sense to reutilise the footprint that was currently established when it was first put into place. 

JOURNALIST: How much will entry they for the pool, like to go inside? 

GREG KIESER: Yet to be decided. We're in the process of modelling our operating model, and that's something which the council team will make a decision on in the coming 12 months. 

JOURNALIST: Alright, so we know that the Bell Bay aluminium smelter has secured another 12 months of operation. Will the Federal Government consider providing a support package so it can continue beyond that?

CATHERINE KING: Well, certainly I know Minister Tim Ayres, who's the Industry Minister, has been talking with the Tasmanian Government, we obviously welcome the 12 month extension. That is important. We're obviously dealing with a range of these issues across the country at the moment, it's not just happening here in Tasmania, and really, those questions should be directed to Tim, but I know that he's specifically been talking to the Tasmanian Government about that.

JOURNALIST: And do you believe that the Bell Bay aluminium smelter and Liberty Bell Bay are viable going forward?

CATHERINE KING: Look certainly again, they are important employers for this community. We recognise that, but we also know that very much the Future Made in Australia agenda that the Albanese Labor Government has been so fierce about is that we want to not just be a country that digs things up and ships them overseas. We've got to value add, and smeltering is very much part of that. It's why we're very pleased to see the Tasmanian Government has stepped in to certainly give surety for the next 12 months around the energy supply so that some further solutions can be found.

JOURNALIST: What are the value of these smelters for broader Australia, not just in Tassie.

CATHERINE KING: Well, obviously being able to produce aluminium, and being able to do that in our own country, rather than importing it, it is significantly important for the country overall. But we know, as we are heading through an energy transition, that these are really challenging areas. Smelters do require significant amounts of energy, and as we know, that is particularly heavy manufacturing. That is part of, really why we are so firm that this transition is happening. It's happening now, and we've got to very much get ahead of it as much as we can, but very pleased that we've seen the Tasmanian Government step in to make sure that there's security in the next 12 months. But again, smelters are really critical to our Future Made in Australia plan.

JOURNALIST: On Liberty Bell Bay, do you want to see more transparency? I believe they haven't yet submitted their outstanding financial reports, for example. 

CATHERINE KING: Well, again, they'd probably be questions to Tim Ayres or to the Tasmanian Government. It's not my portfolio area, so I don't have a comment on something that I'm not sure about.

JOURNALIST: Minister, again, I know this isn't your portfolio, but we'll ask anyway. 

CATHERINE KING: Yeah, sure. 

JOURNALIST: So healthcare in Tasmania, there's industrial action currently happening across Tasmania's health system. The State Government says that the federal government's dropping the ball and not funding their fair share. What's the government's response?

CATHERINE KING: Well, what I'd say is that as the health funding agreements between the Commonwealth and State come up, we always see this level of argy bargy between the states and the Commonwealth around health funding. I think we're at the end of the five year agreement. We've extended it with additional money for that year, and we're now in negotiations around that. We're very firm. There was an agreement between the Commonwealth and the States around NDIS funding and health funding, because they are inextricably linked. The Commonwealth has stepped into the space of disability funding substantially. We are already funding, and again, I would refer this to the health minister, but we do already, through both our funding, through the hospitals agreement, but through Medicare, our huge commitment to increasing bulk billing at general practice, again trying to make sure we are keeping people out of the hospital system, our reforms to aged care, as well as our significant commitments to NDIS. But really what you're seeing, of course, play out is the usual, as agreements come to an end, the argy bargy that happens between Commonwealth state in relation to hospital funding.

JOURNALIST: Tasmanians have some of the worst health outcomes in the country. Can the federal government do more? 

CATHERINE KING: The federal government is doing more. The urgent care clinics really have been a game changer in communities right the way across Tasmania, but also on the mainland as well, being able to actually try and divert people who really should be, too serious an issue to go directly to a GP clinic, but not quite serious enough to be in emergency are those urgent care clinics, the changes to bulk billing, billions of dollars being put into really trying to get bulk billing moving again so that people can access the health care at their general practitioners when they need it, really is the fundamental basis of Medicare. And really the responsibility of the Commonwealth is really to try and make sure that health prevention through general practice is affordable, and that's really the interest and investment that we've been making.

JOURNALIST: Michael, can the Federal Government do more? 

MICHAEL FERGUSON: I might wait my turn, if that's okay, I’m happy to answer other questions. 

JOURNALIST: Okay, well, maybe we'll just go to there's an upcoming vote in the Tassie Parliament on Macquarie Point Stadium, the Federal Government is contributing $240 million. Are there conditions for whether that's spent on the stadium itself or the broader precinct?

CATHERINE KING: So when we made the announcement, we actually made an announcement about Mac Point precinct. Really what we were looking at is that we know that often, for communities funding stadiums is challenging. You're not the only community in the country that has those sorts of challenges. We're very keen to see the stadium built, but we're also keen to see that precinct actually activated, so that included considerations around wharf six, and I'm very pleased to see that that has that milestone has now been met, and we're actually working really constructively with the Tasmanian Government to ensure the Antarctic Division program on wharf six is done. There's a plan coming to me shortly in relation to housing, all of those conditions, really, we're funding the precinct, but obviously part of that precinct is a stadium as well.

MICHAEL FERGUSON: On health, I will just emphasise Minister Archer is available today. So fire away.

JOURNALIST: Just you've heard Minister King's answer, then can the Federal Government do more? Is the current funding enough?

MICHAEL FERGUSON: We do need more funding in health, and we need a long term and genuine partnership between the two levels of government. Beyond that, I'd encourage you to speak to the Minister for Health, Bridget Archer, who, of course, is leading those negotiations on behalf of the Tasmanian Government. Thank you.