What the Tasmanian Liberals will do:

A Hodgman Liberal Government will immediately act to fix the Midland Highway by investing an additional $2 million for urgent maintenance works.

What the Liberals will do:
The Tasmanian Liberals already have a visionary plan to duplicate the Midland Highway, with planning work starting in 2011‐12 and progressive duplication, with Federal Government assistance, from 2014‐15.

Over recent months it has becoming increasingly apparent that interim urgent maintenance works are needed on the highway in order to ensure road safety.

While Labor claim that they are spending $190 million on the highway, the fact is that most of these funds are for the Brighton Bypass and the now virtually completed upgrade at Constitution Hill, which was funded by the previous Federal Government.

There are no significant maintenance road works in progress to date, despite Labor saying that the repairs would commence after the conclusion of the winter wet weather.

Therefore a Hodgman Liberal Government will immediately invest an additional $2 million for urgent road repairs on the Midland Highway.

Why this policy is needed
In 2007 Labor Infrastructure Minister described the Midland Highway as a “goat‐track” – and he was right.

That’s why a Hodgman Liberal Government has committed to a long‐term plan to duplicate it.

Since Mr Sturges’ comments in 2007, the surface of the Midland Highway has deteriorated badly, raising serious questions about its safety, let alone its status as part of the National Highway System.

The latest Federal Maintenance Performance Report for the Midland Highway shows that nearly 12 percent of its surface is regarded as “mediocre” as best, and nearly 30 percent of the pavement is beyond its optimum age.

Little wonder that long sections of the road are marked with signs warning motorists to slow‐down for their safety, and in December last year, a Legislative Council select committee heard evidence from Monash University Accident Research Centre expert Jim Langford, who said:

I think by most international standards there would be a minute proportion of the Midlands Highway [and the Bass Highway] that would qualify as 110kph.

Given that this is the accepted speed‐limit for national highways, this raises very serious concerns about the current safety of the road.

After 12 years of Labor...
Labor has no plan or vision for the Midland Highway, and refuses to even ask the Federal Government for the funding to build the four lane Midland Highway we deserve.

Worse, they lack either the resources or the ability to undertake the necessary critical maintenance repairs to the existing road surface.

It is simply not good enough that the arterial route between Hobart and Launceston, a vital part of the National Highway System is in such a poor state of repair and is so clearly unsafe.