Labor Urged: Act Fast for Tasmanians This Christmas

With nine sleeps until Christmas, there is still time for Anthony Albanese to put Tasmania’s fair share under the tree.

The Tasmanian Government is continuing to lobby Federal Labor to guarantee no Tasmanian business will be left worse off, under the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme (TFES).

Minister for Transport and Minister for Business, Industry and Resources, Eric Abetz, said that Tasmania deserves an even playing field.

“Sea freight is how we move 99 per cent of our goods, across one of the most expensive stretches of water to move goods and people, this of course has a flow-on effect that impacts the cost of doing business and the cost of living,” Minister Abetz said.

“Shipping has inherently high fixed costs across short distances, which is expensive when compared with road and rail transport, and Tasmania does not have the luxury of these cheaper alternatives.

“It is also unacceptable that TFES assistance rates for our farmers and agribusinesses have not changed since 1998 and do not reflect increasing Bass Strait shipping costs, the problem exacerbated further in times of feed and fodder shortage from drought.

“The Government looks forward to the release of the Senate Select Committee’s final report and recommendations that ensure the Scheme continues to offset the freight cost disadvantage for Tasmanian businesses.

“There have been a number of inquiries into the TFES over its near-50 year existence – as a result, we will continue to take the fight to Canberra advocating for a no-worse-off guarantee.

“With nine sleeps until Christmas, the Prime Minister has a chance to put the present of TFES certainty under the tree, a gift that not even the Grinch would withhold.”