Damning report card from Engineers Australia

The Tasmanian Greens today (Wed) acknowledged the release of a damning report card into Tasmania’s infrastructure from Engineers Australia, and called on Infrastructure Minister Lara Giddings to ensure that the state’s infrastructure needs are better managed under her watch than they were under the previous (seven) Labor Infrastructure Ministers.

Greens Infrastructure spokesperson Tim Morris MP said after 12 years of Labor government neglect in Tasmania, a number of crucial infrastructure areas have atrophied, including rail, wastewater management, local roads, and Tasmanian roads in general, and these areas of need must be addressed by the new Minister and Government.

Mr Morris also called for the development of a new mechanism to monitor the maintenance and standard of local roads.

“This damning report card from Engineers Australia delivers a clear message to new Infrastructure Minister Lara Giddings, and the Greens are calling on Ms Giddings to address the major deficiencies highlighted in this report as a matter of urgency,” said Mr Morris.

“The massive injection of funds into our rail network must be managed properly to ensure that Tasmania has a world-class rail network at the end of the revitalisation process currently underway.”

“It is apparent that a new mechanism is needed to improve the standard of local Council-maintained roads around Tasmania. The system at the moment is reactive only and there is obvious deterioration of the general standard of these roads statewide.”

“Wastewater management is currently poor in Tasmania and the Minister must ensure that this issue is addressed as part of the water and sewerage reforms that are currently underway.”
“After 12 years of Labor it is apparent that Tasmania’s infrastructure is decaying in key areas such as rail, roads and wastewater management, and the new Minister must prioritise improvements to these critical areas of need,” said Mr Morris.

Reference: “Tasmania’s 2010 Infrastructure Report Card,” Engineers Australia, released 25 May 2010,
http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/irctas/