Nation Building - Economic Stimulus Plan

On 3 February 2009, the Australian Government announced the $42 billion Nation Building - Economic Stimulus Plan (ESP) designed to create jobs and boost economic growth in the face of the global financial crisis.

The Plan included $21.5 billion in funding to states and territories for infrastructure investment. In order for states to receive their share of funding, they must meet the very tight deadlines for construction to start and finish.

To facilitate the rapid delivery of ESP projects in Tasmania, changes have been made to procurement processes and the planning/approval processes to enable projects under the Plan to be 'fast tracked'.

Since the announcement, significant progress has been made on the various elements of the Plan in Tasmania, moving from the planning and procurement stages to the construction stage for many infrastructure projects.

Tasmanian Implementation - Latest Updates

To get an idea of the ESP projects in your suburb, region or across whole of the state, use the interactive Google map on the Australian Government's ESP web site which has been populated with project data. The map will show you the ESP projects underway within a 10 kilometre radius from the address you enter, and will automatically default to the closest available location. This map will continue to grow as more and more projects get underway.

You will see a range of icons on the map which represent the various projects underway. Click on an icon for more detail, or zoom in for a closer look. The full list of projects in your community will also be displayed below the map. Simply click on a project from the list for more information. Some approved Community Infrastructure projects are currently assigned to a Council Chamber, and will therefore appear at the Council Chamber location rather than the specific project location.

If you are interested in a snapshot of progress to date in Tasmania, a report detailing the progress in the state as at 31 August 2009 is available. The Implementation Progress Report covers progress for all aspects of the ESP under the National Partnership Agreement and Plan.

For the latest updates and information about the Tasmanian implementation of the ESP:

• Social Housing initiative, visit the Housing Innovation Unit's website within the Department of Health and Human Services.
• Building the Education Revolution initiative in Government schools, visit the Department of Education's Infrastructure Projects page.

Want to find out more about upcoming ESP construction work?

If you are looking for opportunities to participate in any of the remaining school construction activities arising from the Plan within Tasmania, here are some ideas on where to start:

• make yourself known to the relevant program Coordinating Officer in the areas in which you are interested.

• review the list of approved school infrastructure projects and/or contact the relevant Coordinating Officer (above);
• register your business on the ICNTas website that has been established to capture expressions of interest from various categories of the building and construction industry.  This information will assist in identifying local capacity to support the Building the Education Revolution (BER) program. For contractors to register you must be able to provide a building practitioner accreditation number;
• review the daily Tasmanian newspapers - The Mercury, The Examiner and The Advocate - for special announcements;
• review the Tenders website at www.tenders.tas.gov.au;
• register your business on the Tenders website and elect to receive automatic email notification when anticipated or current tenders, in categories of interest to your business, are advertised on the website;
• review the Tasmanian Government Tenders section in the Saturday edition of each of the daily Tasmanian newspapers - The Mercury, The Examiner and The Advocate.

Useful Links

Tasmania

• The new Treasurer's Instruction (TI 1299) to assist agencies in meeting the ESP targets and supporting Procurement Guidelines.
• An explanation of the new consultation and approval process for social housing and school infrastructure projects under the Nation Building and Jobs Plan Facilitation (Tasmania) Act 2009 including a flow chart which diagrammatically shows the new process.
• Nation Building - Economic Stimulus Plan - Key Events in Tasmania.

Australian Government

• Visit www.australia.gov.au/economicstimulus to keep informed about the Australian economy and the Australian Government's early and decisive action to cushion the nation from the worst of the global financial recession. The website provides information and updates on the progress of the $42 billion Nation Building - Economic Stimulus Plan. Links are provided to the various elements under the Plan including:

• Education
• Community Infrastructure
• Road and Rail
• Housing
• Ceiling Insulation
• Solar Hot Water

• Australian Government's Progress Report - In late August 2009 the Commonwealth Coordinator-General released a progress report to 30 June 2009.
• National Partnership Agreement on the Nation Building and Jobs Plan: Building Prosperity For the Future and Supporting Jobs Now.