NSW Shadow Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Mark Coure, has called out the Minns Labor Government’s Tech Central Economic Development Strategy as “big on buzzwords but light on delivery.”
He warned that Sydney risks missing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to grow the state’s innovation economy.
“The Government’s own strategy admits Tech Central still has no formal governance model and that previous attempts to create one have ‘stalled, creating uncertainty and slowing investment’,” Mr Coure said.
“How can we measure success when the strategy won’t even set clear targets until after a new governance body is formed?
Despite the Minister touting his initial $5 million investment, what he fails to mention is that the relocation costs alone of moving from the Sydney Startup Hub to Tech Central are expected to cost the government $5 million.
“This is a government and Minister who is all spin and no substance,” Mr Coure said.
“The Minns Labor Government has rushed through this move despite opposition from innovation stakeholders and is now trying to claim that paying for the moving vans is a win for the sector.”
“Innovation thrives on certainty, infrastructure and talent. Instead, we get a plan that delays targets, underfunds, and leaves critical skills gaps unresolved,” Mr Coure said.
“The Minns Labor Government must lift its game so Tech Central can reach its full potential, and so the benefits flow across the whole of NSW, not just inner Sydney,” he said.
The NSW government’s long-awaited Tech Central plan outlines a broad vision for Australia’s largest innovation district but stops short of setting concrete targets, leaving uncertainty around how $38.5 million in state funding will be allocated.
