BELINDA KING: Now, a federal review into the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme and the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme is underway. I know, it sounds a bit dry, but stick with me. It examines how these programs support Tassie business, Tassie families and travellers across Bass Strait, because Bass Strait is part of the national highway. They offset – these schemes offset freight and travel costs for all of us, and there is a review going on at the moment. Senator Anthony Chisholm is in town. He’s the Federal Assistant Minister for Regional Development, and he joins us this morning. Senator, good morning. 

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: Good morning, BJ. Good to be with you.

BELINDA KING: Thank you for joining us this morning. So, Tassie pays more simply because we’re an island. How does this review assess whether these schemes are delivering fairness and supporting our businesses and families?

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: It’s obviously a really important scheme, and one that’s been in place in different forms for 50 years. And the feedback I’ve had over the last couple of days is that it is a scheme that’s been helpful for businesses, but they also think it can be strengthened. So it can be complex. Obviously, some of the fees haven’t changed for a long period of time. So we want to ensure that it’s one that can support people and businesses into the future, but hopefully drive more opportunity as well. So that’s really the focus of it. It’s one that’s – a scheme that’s supported, but people want to see it do better and provide more opportunity for people. So that’s why it’s important to get down here and listen to people on the ground who are making use of the scheme.

BELINDA KING: I’m sure they’re going to tell you freight costs have been rising and the assistance sometimes only partially covers those costs, as well as the scheme has actually failed to keep up with real-world freight economics. How can you take that advice and do something for us?

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: Well, that’s going to be the challenge for the reviewers who are doing that detailed work. But what I’ve picked up as I’ve travelled around is that complexity part to it is one that is particularly frustrating for smaller operators. So they’ve found it difficult to manage if they’re a single operator or someone who doesn’t employ a big staff. So that’s something that we’re keen to look at, but also ensuring that it is one that is going to level that playing field for people so that they can compete with the mainland in terms of their produce or whatever it is they’re producing. And we know that there’s a lot of interest in Tasmania and what it produces and that reputation that it has, so how can we ensure that we level that playing field and people here get that increased opportunity that can come from that?

BELINDA KING: Senator, are there any thoughts at the moment as to what changes, what you could suggest as towards changes that might be considered to making travel across Bass Strait more affordable?

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: We’ve still got a couple of months before we finalise the review. So I’m not going to jump to conclusions, but there has been common themes around how of the rates haven’t changed for a long period of time, the complexity. So I definitely think we need to be looking at what we’re doing in that space to provide more support for businesses and producers in this part of the world.

BELINDA KING: With respect, Senator, local exporters and producers who rely on moving goods across to the mainland have been waiting a long time for this review. What is success going to look like when it finally happens?

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: Well, for me, it’ll be that we’ve brought down a review that gets implemented and that we see that increased opportunity and economic development and jobs being created as a result of it. So that’s what I want to see. So I’ve met with some of the bigger producers who make use of the scheme and some of the ones who want to do more with it. And they all have that common view of this is a really important scheme, it does make a real difference, but it can be strengthened. And that’s what we want as a government.

BELINDA KING: Is there any opportunity for people to still have a say while you’re in the state?

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: There will be ongoing consultation. So I’m spending the rest of the day around Devonport and Ulverstone and Burnie today, and then there’ll be numerous opportunities to engage online as well as we get closer to finalising things in April.

BELINDA KING: Well, we’ll look forward to hearing what comes out of it in April. Thank you very much for your time this morning.

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: Thank you. Good to be with you and your listeners.

BELINDA KING: Thank you. Senator Anthony Chisholm with us this morning, Federal Assistant Minister for Regional Development.