Bridge funds finally flow

THE State Government says its surplus is not under threat despite increasing its contribution to the $576 million Bridgewater Bridge project.

The Hodgman Government has increased its allocation from the $46 million promised during the state election campaign to $115 million in the wake of the Federal Government’s Budget allocation of $461 million announced yesterday.

Funding will be split 80/20 between Federal and State governments.

A State Government spokesman said yesterday the bridge funding would affect the fiscal balance rather than the net operating surplus, which was predicted to be $100 million over four years.

Uncertainty over how long it will take to build the new Bridgewater Bridge means there are no annual allocation figures yet.

However, Labor’s infrastructure spokesman David O’Byrne said the Liberals were rushing to plug a $69 million shortfall.

“Will Hodgman and the Tasmanian Liberals were clearly caught on the hop and scrambled to make up the funding shortfall,” Mr O’Byrne said.

“Today’s announcement is another dent in Peter Gutwein’s Budget in the wake of $2.7 billion in irresponsible promises from a Liberal party desperate to win the March election.

“Far from being responsible economic managers, the Liberals continue to throw money around like it is confetti,” Mr O’Byrne said.

The Federal Budget will allocate $921 million to Tasmanian infrastructure, including $400 million for improving safety on Bass Hwy and $59.8 million for the second tranche of the rail revitalisation program.

Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff said construction would begin as soon as possible although planning was at the stage of concept designs.

The new Bridgewater Bridge will comprise four lanes and include pedestrian and cyclist facilities.

The new bridge will be sited downriver of the existing bridge, on land already identified as suitable.

Rail access will be maintained via the existing bridge, which will remain because it is heritage-listed.

In April, federal Labor leader Bill Shorten promised $100 million towards the project.

Liberal Senator Richard Colbeck said the project was overdue after previous funding was diverted by the state Labor Government in the early 2000s.

“The Bridgewater Bridge bottleneck has been a problem for decades, and now thanks to a Liberal Government in Canberra, and a Liberal Government in Tasmania, it will finally be addressed,” he said.

He said it was the Coalition’s hope that the announcement could help win back the seats of Bass, Braddon and Lyons, which it lost in the 2016 election.

Federal Labor MP for Franklin Julie Collins said Tasmanians should not forget the Coalition Government had failed to invest in any new infrastructure projects over the past five years and had cut $100 million from Midland Hwy funding.

RACT executive general manager for membership and community Stacey Pennicott said the motoring organisation had been lobbying for the project and was excited it was coming to fruition.

The Tasmanian Government forwarded a business case on the bridge project to Infrastructure Australia in January.

Liberal Senator Jonathon Duniam said $400 million from the Roads of Strategic Importance initiative would fund targeted works including improving the efficiency and safety of the Bass Hwy corridor.