By Melissa Meehan in Hobart

Tasmania will be home to the world’s largest chocolate fountain, if the Liberals win the upcoming state election.

The island state will head to the polls on March 23 after the Liberal minority government failed to resolve a stand-off with two crossbench independents.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff says if re-elected, his government will work with tourism industry leader Simon Currant to deliver his vision for the world’s ultimate chocolate experience.

The fountain will sit alongside the Cadbury factory, just north of Hobart overlooking the River Derwent, offering chocoholics a sweet taste of the Apple Isle.

As well as the chocolate fountain there will be a premium chocolate studio, a chocolate lab with a make-your-own chocolate bar, a chocolate emporium, café and playground.

Touted by the Liberals as the “greatest thing to happen to tourism since MONA”,  Mr Rockliff said tourism had been one of Tasmania’s greatest transformative sectors in the past decade.

“We talk a lot about the cultural and economic lift of the MONA-effect, but it’s important that we keep investing, growing, changing and giving visitors even more reasons to visit Tasmania and spend their money in our cities and regions,” Mr Rockliff said on Sunday.

“This will re-write the ‘must-see’ list for every visitor that comes to Tasmania; hug a Tassie devil, sip wine on Wineglass, stroll Salamanca, climb Cradle, and cap that all off with the sweetest experience of them all at the Chocolate Experience at Cadbury.”

Mr Currant said the complex would become another tourism icon in Tasmania.

“My vision for many years has been to have our own chocolate experience here, not just a chocolate shop, an experience that they will remember forever,” he told reporters on Sunday.

“It came from an initial plan to re-ignite what was once here and… blow people’s minds.”

Most of the $100 million funding would come from investment groups, and the government funding has given investors the confidence to go forward, he said.

The project will move forward with support from Cadbury factory owner Mondelez International, which Mr Currant says has given permission for the Cadbury name to be used.

The Liberals will put up to $12 million aside for the project, investing $2 million over 18 months to progress planning, designs, approvals and get to shovel ready.

Another $2 million to be invested over 18 months to progress early-stage works on the site including but not limited to public walkways, public cycle infrastructure and headworks.

Subject to the achievement of agreed milestones, up to a further $8 million investment for the precinct would be made available, he said.

The proposed project could create 300 construction jobs, 200 jobs on completion and a $120 million boost in annual economic activity.

Labor leader Rebecca White said it was exciting to see new experiences come to light but stopped short of saying she would match the promise.

It was important when spending taxpayers’ money to have a transparent system, she said.

“The Labor Party has already announced a $50 million no interest loan program that is eligible for operators and I welcome the proponents of the Cadbury Visitor Centre to make an application under that program,” she told reporters on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Labor has announced support measures for renters if it wins government, saying they will be allowed to hang pictures, plant veggie gardens and have pets.

Labor also announced if the party wins government it would bring Tasmania in line with the rest of the nation by introducing industrial manslaughter laws.