Tasmania’s Economic Development Plan and Science and Research Sector

The EDP is a system with a 10-year vision and rolling implementation plans against which we measure progress. It will be a whole-of-government approach that integrates the government’s Innovation, Skills and Infrastructure strategies. It will ensure Tasmania’s economic, social and environmental sustainability now and in the future.

As the result of detailed analysis through the EDP process, the government has identified 17 sectors that will be initial priority areas for focus. The science and research sector is one of these, and has been identified as having significant economic opportunities for the state. Each priority sector will develop specific strategies to address sector-specific issues and opportunities.

The EDP will include ongoing consultation with government, business and industry and community stakeholder groups throughout the state to identify what is needed to propel Tasmania’s economy forward. In December, the first round of stakeholder consultation meetings was held with business and industry to gather valuable input into the EDP.
Four new Industry Advisory Committees have been established and will play a key role in representing their individual industry sectors and providing high-level advice to government during the formulation of the EDP, and one of these is the Science and Research Sector Advisory Committee (SRSAC).

SRSAC is comprised of a number of leaders from research institutions in the state and is headed by an independent chair, Dr Graham Mitchell. Dr Mitchell is recognised as one of Australia’s leading biological scientists and is one of the Victorian Government’s Chief Scientists.

The Advisory Committee met for the first time in early December as part of the EDP consultation process and will be meeting again in mid-February to work on the development of the Science and Research Sector Strategy.

View the Economic Development Plan Discussion Paper here.