AUSTRALIA
STATE PROFILES – TASMANIA
Leading the way in alternative energy
approximately 37 per cent of the state declared national parkland. With a reputation as Australia’s ‘green’ state, Tasmania has a strong history of alternative energy development, which makes the state a potential area of interest for many Arab nations seeking to develop this sector. Tasmania was one of the first states
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in Australia to adapt and embrace renewable energy. Tasmania is the only state that generates a large proportion of its electricity from hydro-electric power schemes, which have been important to the state’s economy and workforce since the 1940s. There are 29 hydro-electricity plants in seven different catchment areas, all managed by the state-owned Hydro Tasmania. Wind power is also a popular source
of energy for Tasmania, as the state is located in the path of the Roaring Forties. Tasmania has two world-class wind farms, Woolnorth Wind Farm and the Huxley Hill Wind Farm on King Island. There are also a number of privately owned turbines that distribute renewable energy based on a combination of wind, solar photovoltaic cells and rubbish tip methane. Tasmania is also leading the nation with its progress towards geothermal energy as a potential renewable energy source. Companies such as KUTh Energy have explored some very successful proposals in this area. The majority of Tasmania’s
population of 500,000 live in the state capital Hobart and its surrounding areas. Consequently, Hobart is the state’s financial and administrative centre, although the cities of Burnie, Devonport and Launceston are also
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he island state of Tasmania lays claim to a relatively unspoiled natural environment, with
ABOVE: Hobart, on the picturesque Derwent River.
LEFT: Hydro-electricity generates much of Tasmania’s power. BELOW: Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain.
major population centres and home to various businesses. Hobart, Australia’s second-oldest city, is known for its laid-back lifestyle, its location on the picturesque Derwent River, and its array of political buildings which date back to the city’s settlement in 1803. Tasmania boasts a low cost of living and the lowest business licensing costs in all of Australia, with the second-lowest electricity and taxation costs in the country. Tourism is very important to
Tasmania’s economy and Tourism Tasmania encourages Middle Eastern travellers to experience this unique part of the world. The tourism industry itself has benefited from the operation of the Spirit of Tasmania ferry, which runs
AUSTRALIA AND THE ARAB COUNTRIES | 2010
nightly from the mainland location of Melbourne to Devonport in Tasmania’s north. Food products and livestock are the
main sources of export goods to the Middle East. These include chocolate and processed cocoa products, cheese and curd, vegetables, fish, fruits, nuts, meat, beef and crustaceans. Tasmania businesses have also
enjoyed success in the increasingly popular building and construction export market to the Middle East. One company is Muir Engineering, which has recently exported the first of their new anchor winch, chain compressor and four docking capstans for a 141- metre vessel under construction in the Middle East. p
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