What the Tasmanian Liberals will do:

A Hodgman Liberal Government will establish a new $20 million Better Regional Roads Fund to upgrade regional roads throughout the State.

What the Liberals will do
The Tasmanian Liberals already have shown leadership and long-term vision in our commitment to build a four-lane, divided Midland Highway, and we recently announced we would spend an additional $2 million for urgent maintenance work on the road.

But Tasmania’s regional roads* have been badly neglected over the 12 years Labor has been in power.

A Hodgman Liberal Government would invest $20 million in a dedicated, Better Regional Roads Fund for upgrade, maintenance and improvements to regional roads throughout the State.

This dedicated Fund would be established in our first Budget, to commence operating on 1 July 2010.

We will work with Tasmania’s local councils and Infrastructure Tasmania to identify priority regional road needs in their municipalities, and allocate funding accordingly.

Why this policy is needed
In 2008 the Federal Government’s national infrastructure audit highlighted the shameful state of Tasmania’s road system, comparing it unfavourably with the other States.

Sir Rod Eddington, chairman of the National Infrastructure Audit, said

In Tasmania, for example, regional roads (which will need to cope with increasing freight over the next decade, are a weak link in the State’s export chain and are generally not fit to support road freight productivity reforms.  Infrastructure deficiencies, compounded by a maintenance backlog, mean that many roads require major investment.

This is simply not good enough.  Tasmania’s regional road system has steadily deteriorated because it has not been adequately funded.  Too much of the onus has been put on local government councils, whose resources are already stretched.

More and more freight will be carried on our roads in the future, and passenger transport will increase.

Our State’s regional roads are essential to the economic prosperity of Tasmania, supporting transport of produce and products, exports and imports, as well as local transport and tourist travel.

As competition between the States, in our region and globally, becomes greater, Tasmania cannot be left behind with a substandard regional road system.

After nearly 12 years of Labor...

In September 2008 Labor’s Infrastructure Minister said the ‘first job’ of his new departmental secretary was to develop a State infrastructure plan.  He did not say why there hadn’t been one for the previous 10 years Labor has been in government.  And, more than a year on, no such plan has been produced.

In May 2009 the Federal Government allocated $22 billion throughout the States and Territories for major special infrastructure projects.  Tasmania comprehensively missed out.

Everyone knows our State’s infrastructure – road, rail and port – needs better funding support.  Local government knows it.  The federal Labor government knows it.  The independent National Infrastructure Audit stated it.  But still State Labor has fundamentally failed to deliver.

Our regional roads need to be a major priority, and a Hodgman Liberal Government will deliver that.