There is no funding nor any solid commitment to light rail in the newly-inked $1.43 billion Hobart City Deal, signed by federal, state and local representatives on Sunday.
While the funding package includes $130.5 million for ‘congestion busting’ projects, there is just $25 million set aside for further work on the Northern Suburbs Transit Corridor – a challenge for which light rail is viewed as one potential solution.
Flanking Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a Hobart press conference on Sunday, federal cities minister Alan Tudge said the Corridor funding was the first step towards a public transport solution.
“Really this Deal is the first step in having better public transport solutiosn for that northern corridor,” Tudge said. “And there’s a commitment to investigate what the best option is going to be going into the future, knowing that we need to activate that corridor, do the better planning, have the development options on the table, get rid of the red tape, and do all the pieces along the way as well.”
Tasmanian treasurer Peter Gutwein was in sync with Tudge.
“The Deal is the first steps to be taken respectively with all the planning that needs to occur that could unleash hundreds of millions of dollars of urban development on those transport corridors,” Gutwein said. “So it’s the first step, the first stage, but importantly there’s $25 million under the Deal that will enable us to do that.”
The funding package announced over the weekend includes $82.3 million for immigration, customs and biosecurity to allow Hobart Airport to handle international flights.
There’s also $450 million to upgrade Australia’s Antarctic research station network, and $576 million to replace the Bridgewater Bridge, in what will be the state’s largest ever infrastructure project.
“Our Hobart City Deal will open the city and Tasmania up for locals and for the world,” Morrison said. “With ink on the page on this landmark second City Deal for Tasmania, the state will be in prime position to make the most of its tourism drawcards and its potential as a science hub.”
Shadow cities minister Anthony Albanese said the deal was “too little, too late”.
“The Federal Liberals have been too distracted by chaos and division to focus on delivering for Hobart,” Albanese said. “Southern Tasmania has been left off the map under the Liberals.”