The 4,000m2 convention centre is to be built adjacent to the Peppers Silo Hotel, with the developer who proposed the project, JMC Group, also the owner of the hotel.
The City of Launceston has already promised $5 million for the $35 million project, however, the council’s contribution was contingent on the state government kicking in $10 million, which Premier Jeremy Rockliff announced yesterday.
“We are proud to be partnering with JMC and the City of Launceston to deliver a new convention centre for Northern Tasmania,” said Rockliff.
“This job-creating and economy-boosting development will unlock a new era of opportunity for Northern Tasmania by positioning the region as a must-visit destination for business events.
“It will generate tens of thousands of additional visitor nights, delivering significant flow on benefits for hotels, hospitality, retail and tourism operators.
“There will also be opportunities across high growth sectors including health, defence, advanced manufacturing, green energy, agriculture and science.
“The Tasmanian Government has negotiated access to the convention space for the first decade of operations, to enable more events to be held in the region and enhance the return on investment.”
Business events are worth almost $200 million to the Tasmanian economy annually and a recent study commissioned by Visit Northern Tasmania found a convention centre would see Launceston host double the number of business events it hosts now.
The state government also believes the convention centre will spark further investment in hotels in Launceston.
JMC Group has already committed to building a 120-room hotel alongside the convention centre, which will be able to accommodate groups of up to 1,000.
JMC is investing $20 million into the convention centre project and will remediate the King’s Wharf area which sits on the riverbank of the Tamar Estuary. The convention centre and the new hotel will be built immediately opposite the riverbank precinct.
