Mandate to reshape Hobart demands

Tasmanian Liberals are a party in a hurry — or working hard to create that impression. Re-elected to majority government, the Liberals have committed themselves to a 100-day Plan top-heavy with investments in infrastructure, health and education.

It’s all designed to “get on with the job of taking Tasmania to the next level”.

What the next level might be has not been spelled out, perhaps because the Liberals believe voters respond better to governments that set targets rather than take the time to ensure their infrastructure investment decisions are informed by an

Irene Duckett

overarching narrative.

At this stage in its economic resurgence and recovery Tasmania is clearly in need of long-term vision and strategic planning. Emblematic of that requirement is Hobart.

The city’s infrastructure, particularly its roads and transport system, is under heavy pressure as a result of strong population growth and a booming statewide economy. There’s also an under-supply of housing.

Greater Hobart is not particularly well served by public transport, and as a result the city has a high dependency on private cars, even by Australian standards.

Peak-hour congestion on the major feeder roads into the CBD is becoming common, and when there are accidents on the Southern Outlet or the Brooker Highway, traffic can quickly back up to the next suburb and beyond.

The relatively high cost of housing in the inner-city and middle-ring suburbs has led to inefficient urban sprawl along the Derwent and southern corridors of the city. Some of these outer suburbs are further impacted by pockets of social and economic disadvantage.

Common sense would suggest that better integrated transport and land-use planning would alleviate traffic congestion, rein in urban sprawl and direct infrastructure investment to where it’s most needed.

The City Deal for Hobart announced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in January will go a long way to addressing some of the city’s current planning ills. By fostering Commonwealth, state and local government co- operation and partnerships in infrastructure and affordable housing, the Hobart City Deal should deliver a significant boost to southeastern Tasmania’s economy.

However, with Hobart’s administration divided between five major councils, and the City Deal’s commitment restricted mainly to funding, there’s a need for the Tasmanian Government to show leadership.

With its ability to coordinate and lead planning and strategy development, the Government can ensure growth remains sustainable without its amenity and liveability being compromised.

On the evidence, however, the Government’s approach, at least to transport planning, appears to be ad hoc rather than strategic.

One of its signature infrastructure policies presented to voters before the March 3 election was a $35 million investment to build a fifth lane for the Southern Outlet, another was to duplicate the Tasman Highway between Hobart and Sorell. The Government is also proposing an underground bus station in central Hobart as part of the City Deal.

However attractive these initiatives might seem to frustrated motorists and commuters, it’s difficult to see them as medium or long-term