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From the early 1990’s, a national sea highway crossing Bass Strait using shipping and catering for the movement of both people and vehicles, pegged to the cost of highway travel, has been supported by the public. Also, by major business interests across South Eastern Australia – and more recently support for a comprehensive scheme covering freight.
National Highway promises followed, aimed at giving Tasmanians transport equality and a link to the National Highway. This link was expected to increase tourism and build population, investment and jobs. A federal equalisation scheme was then introduced in 1996.
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Following the introduction, Bass Strait policies in both Tasmania and Canberra seem to have focussed on trying to meet the primary needs of some within the Tasmanian accommodation sector.
The scheme has encouraged, instead of the movement of people, the movement of accompanied vehicles as part of leisure travel or driving holidays. The highway equalisation formula and indexing has been removed and replaced by CPI indexing. The scheme has been left without a mechanism to put downward pressure on total fares.
Participants in this type of holiday market are few when compared with the numbers that regularly use a short distance land-based highway- say the Midland Highway. Many holiday package travellers may not be as sensitive to the price of access as regular A to B travellers.
Regardless, it is critical that the various needs of these A to B highway travellers must be met. Travellers that regularly use highways need consistently, low highway equivalent fares. Also, there are some that require fair sea highway access just to decide to stay in Tasmania.
Substantial service industries and public and private institutions across Tasmania need access to such travellers and as residents. Many of these industries and activities, individually and together, a make a significantly larger contribution to the Tasmanian economy than the accommodation sector.
A full NSH, covering people and all vehicles – also all freight, save for bulk cargo and including for the first time, coverage of southbound consumables and northbound international exports is needed.
Strangely policies, other than sea highway policies, seem to have influenced Bass Strait for many years. There appears to be very little known within government about the positive economic and social impact of a National Sea Highway.
The TCCI report, which acted as a catalyst for the introduction of a federal equalisation scheme, looked at this wider issue. Little further government analysis has emerged for over 15 years.
A federal equalisation scheme, mainly applied to vehicles, cannot go anywhere near supporting a broad-based state economy that needs direct access to people – not just accompanied vehicles.
The whole Bass Strait policy focus from Tasmania to Canberra needs to change. The major political parties have the opportunity and duty to deliver a sea highway open to and advantaging all.
Regardless of what federal equalisation schemes were, or now have become, all Australians, their motoring bodies, and those that require the movement of passengers in cars and foot passengers, have sought national highway access into Tasmania. It is in the combined interests of major wealth generators within Tasmania that highway equivalent surface access for people is facilitated, and equalisation is not just about moving federally funded cars.
Canberra could not survive without both air and highway surface links – neither can Tasmania. The movement of people crossing Bass Strait by sea should build a comprehensive tourism industry, not detract from it.
It is time for the Prime Minister to announce a change of direction. Defence of the status quo raises very difficult questions and will limit the right of all industries to fairly integrate their activities into a national economy. Tony Abbott has already opened the door to a review. The Prime Minister is yet to respond.
Switzerland has an open border transport policy – why not for the Switzerland of the south? Transport equity, the need for equal links between states, policies that make sound economic sense to all, federal mandates and the needs of people and business across Australia require it.
• Last week on Tasmanian Times: Call for an apology for Bass Strait schemes that isolate Tasmania
• ABC: Tassie IT Boom … irrespective of election result, here
• ABC: Labor MPs blame re-election battle on Labor-Green deal, here
• Newport Consulting: Business leaders lose confidence in Australian economy, here
• Rodney Croome: Rudd’s defence of marriage equality a historic moment, here
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• Peter Whish-Wilson: Rudd needs to reverse UTAS cuts to complete the job in Tasmania
• Rodney Croome: Advocates look to post-election strategy with new appointment
• Rodney Croome: Advocates slam anti-marriage equality fear campaign
