The Albanese Labor Government's first budget unlocks important funding for our local communities in Braddon including:

Bass Highway - $540m has been provided to upgrade Tasmania’s important road corridors, including the Bass Highway, the Tasman Highway and the East and West Tamar Highways. It will include the installation of safety barriers and construction of passing lanes on the Bass and Tasman Highways with sections to be determined in consultation with the Tasmanian Government

Boat Harbour Beach Redevelopment - $4.5 million: The Albanese Labor Government will help breathe new life into Boat Harbour Beach with a $4.5m investment in the redevelopment of the foreshore.

We will partner with the Waratah-Wynyard Council to deliver more space for the surf club and the community, while delivering safety and accessibility upgrades to benefit locals and visitors. Importantly, this investment will include the establishment of a community centre for the area and provide the Surf Club with fit for purpose facilities.

This investment will create local jobs in the construction phase, and will deliver a better future to businesses, the Boat Harbour Beach community, and visitors across the region.

Burnie Arts and Function Centre - $13m: The Albanese Labor Government will partner with the Burnie City Council to redevelop the Burnie CBD and make the Burnie Cultural Precinct a reality. This plan will put the community at the heart of the CBD’s redevelopment, creating better open spaces, revamping public buildings, and increasing the number of locals living in the CBD.

Burnie Community House Toy Library - $5000: Federal funding will support the weekly family activity Kommunity Kids, and will be used to purchase equipment suitable for 0-5 year old’s. Kommunity Kids has been running for 13 years as a whole of family activity held every Wednesday afternoon at the Shorewell Park Reserve. Items to be purchased include a mud kitchen, water play equipment, outdoor art equipment, building blocks, sensory setup, portable sandbox and balance beams.

Costa Group - $2m: The Albanese Labor Government will partner with this iconic local agriculture business in North-West Tasmania to expand its East Devonport Berry Distribution Centre and create new jobs and business opportunities. The investment will help expand the centre’s capacity from around 12,000 tonnes to more than 17,000 tonnes for the 2026/2027 season. The expansion is expected to support 140 full-time jobs and more than 1,000 new harvest-season jobs.

Devonport sporting facilities - $25m: The Albanese Labor Government will commit $25 million to deliver a long-awaited upgrade of sporting facilities in Devonport. We will partner with the Council as it continues the process of bringing together the many different sporting groups involved, and develops detailed plans for modern, accessible facilities to meet future demand and act as a community hub.

Dial Range - $431,000: The Albanese Labor Government is partnering with Central Coast Council to build new eco-friendly toilet facilities for walkers & mountain bikers at one of North-West Tasmania’s most popular recreational use nature reserves, the Dial Range.

Latrobe Recreation Ground - $500,000: We are partnering with Latrobe Council to deliver change rooms and ensure that all players have the privacy that they deserve. This project is critical for young women who participate in sport at the ground. The redevelopment will also create new rehearsal and storage facilities for the Latrobe Federal Band.

Loaves and Fishes Tasmania - $1.3m: The Albanese Labor Government will assist Tasmania’s largest provider of free emergency food, Loaves and Fishes. Each year, Loaves and Fishes distribute around one tonne of donated food, such as fresh produce, ready-to-eat meals, emergency food hampers and school breakfast supplies. They work with about 350 community agencies to help feed 16,000 Tasmanians each week. Until now they have received no Federal Government support.

McKenna Park - $500,000: The Albanese Labor Government is supporting the upgrade of the McKenna Park facilities including a full fit-out of its lounge, kitchen and kiosk as well as an electricity upgrade. McKenna Park is ideally located to cater to the needs of the growing community around the complex.

Mobile Blackspots - $2.1m: Working with telecommunication companies and the Cradle Coast Authority, Labor will invest $2.1 million to improve mobile coverage in Togari and Queenstown.

Schools Upgrade funding – four schools will receive funding for important upgrades.

• North-West Support School - $50,500 for upgrades at its Devonport and Burnie campuses. $18,000 will go to building a shade structure at the school’s Devonport campus and $32,500 will build a sensory maze at its Burnie campus.
• Don College - $78,000 to upgrade outdoor areas.
• Hellyer College - $50,000 to upgrade workshop areas.
• Boat Harbour School - $137,000 to install a new playground with modern equipment.

Project Far Northwest - $12.5m: The Federal Labor Government is funding the redevelopment of the site of a former nature-based visitor attraction called Dismal Swamp, transforming it into an experience hub for the far north west of Tasmania. Private sector tourism operators will be able to offer visitors environmental and cultural experiences, accommodation and hospitality.

Aboriginal Health Centre in Queenstown – $1.42m: Rural Health Tasmania will establish this important service to meet the needs of the local community.

Shorewell Park, Community Battery: The federal government has allocated $224.3m to fund 400 community batteries Australia-wide to lower bills, cut emissions and reduce pressure on the grid.

Six Rivers Aboriginal Corporation: $600,000 over three years. This federal funding will enable Six Rivers Aboriginal Corporation's museum and cultural centre “Tiagarra”, to open full-time to promote cultural engagement and foster stronger outcomes for Tasmanian Aboriginal people in the North-West.

Tasmanian Minerals, Manufacturing & Energy Council (TMEC) - $293,000: We are helping to train the next generation of skilled workers for the manufacturing and mining industries by purchasing state-of-the-art training technology: 3 welding simulators and virtual reality headsets to meet the growing demand from schools and TAFE.

TasTAFE Devonport - $1million: We will invest in upgrades to the TasTAFE Devonport Campus to ensure people studying automotive body repair and refinishing can get the skills they need.

Warawyn Early Learning - $1.3 million: Funding from the Albanese Labor Government will meet an urgent community need by expanding Warawyn Early Learning Services to better support families and children in Waratah-Wynyard.

West Coast Child Care, Playgroups, Playgrounds & Open Spaces - $1.3 million: The Albanese Labor Government will provide $1.2 million to build and upgrade playgrounds on the West Coast. The funding will go to the West Coast Council to carry out this vital part of its Sport and Recreational Plan.

We will also provide $50,000 for Queenstown Child Care Service to upgrade its backyard, transforming it into a nature play space with real grass, natural climbing structures, easels for painting, chalkboards, ball runs and outdoor STEM experiences. This is the only child-care service on the West Coast of Tasmania and operates on a “not for profit” basis.

Kids' Club at the Zeehan Connection Centre will receive $3,240 which will allow the purchase of tables and chairs for children, bean bag chairs, a reading tent, floor cushions, a sensory tub on wheels, ingredients for cooking to expose children to different tastes and cultural experiences, and educative entertainment for young children.

Whaleback Energy Park Feasibility Study - $2.4 million. The Albanese Labor Government is providing support to Westcoast Renewable Energy Pty Ltd so it can undertake a feasibility study. The study will look at challenges facing the development of a green hydrogen industry, including environmental sensitivities and market sustainability.

Urgent Care Clinic - North West Tasmania is identified in the Budget as the site of one of 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across Australia.

The clinic will make it easier to get high quality care for urgent, but non-life-threatening health issues. The clinic will be open extended business hours, seven days week to provide the care you and your family need, with no out-of-pocket costs to patients. It will take pressure off local emergency department, leaving overworked doctors and nurses available to attend to more serious and life-threatening cases.

The clinic will be established as part of an existing GP clinic or community health centre in Braddon and is expected to be operational from 2023-24.

In addition, these budget announcements are focussed Tasmania-wide and will also directly benefit the Braddon electorate:

• Forestry Workforce Training Program - $10 million over four years
• Support for Plantation Establishment - $65.9 million over four years
• Accelerate adoption of wood processing innovation - $112.5 million over four years
• University of Tasmania - $5.5 million to provide 442 new university places across all Tasmanian campuses