Big money to take a slow lane for road upgrades $7m for state’s lone repatriation flight

MOTORISTS should not hold their breath for the delivery of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of upgrades to Tasmanian roads outlined in the federal budget.

A $322m roads package for the state was unveiled before the official release of the budget on Tuesday night, but budget papers have revealed less than a third of it will be spent over the next four years.

In fact, just $4m is expected to be spent in 2021-22 and a total of $97.2m across the forward estimates until the end of June, 2025.

That date is after the next Tasmanian state election is due, with the state responsible for partially funding many of the projects.

Some of them were promised by the Tasmanian Liberals during the recent state election campaign, at which the party won a majority of seats.

Under the funding package, $113m has been set aside for upgrades to the Midland Highway, including at Campbell Town, Oatlands and Ross.

Meanwhile, $80m will be spent on the Bass Highway, which runs through the marginal federal seats of Bass and Braddon.

A number of other projects are being partly paid for by the state, including a major upgrade to the Algona Rd roundabout and the Kingston Bypass, which will cost a combined $60m.

The federal government will also pay $44m of a $55m project to duplicate South Arm Rd from Pass Rd to Oakdowns and to upgrade the Acton Rd intersection.

The outlining of the spending breakdown comes after federal Labor MPs criticised Liberal governments for “reheating” projects that had already been announced.

Lyons MP Brian Mitchell said funding announcements for the Bass and Midland highways were not new.

“This isn’t new funding — it’s an existing promise that has been repackaged to try and hoodwink Tasmanian voters,’’ he said.

But Tasmanian Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson said that the funding arrangements between state and federal governments showed co-operation.

“It’s been a strong partnership between the two governments going back many years now,’’ he said.