Media release – Cassy O’Connor MP, Greens Leader and Member for Clark, 6 June 2023

Ferguson No Rail Fail for Northern Suburbs Corridor

The northern suburbs transit corridor looks destined to fail under Infrastructure and Transport Minister, Michael Ferguson.

Minister Ferguson’s plan includes ripping up railway tracks, removing bridges and adding an extra rapid bus lane.

We know from comparative study work commissioned by government that light rail is possible on the existing corridor, would be more popular than buses, and stimulate more urban growth and jobs.

The Liberals’ bus solution is expected to cost $50M a kilometre – for buses that would hold only dozens of people. It’s uninspiring, the cheap option.

It also looks destined to be a dud. Perth in WA ripped up the bus line through its southern suburbs, and put in light rail, almost quadrupling patronage.

How does Mr Ferguson think buses that only run every 15 minutes and hold just over 100 people would fit with the Rockliff Government’s stadium plans? It’s delusional.

Then when the Greens asked whether Metro would run the service, it emerged that Minister Ferguson plans to put the contract out to tender. $200M of public money, millions more on rapid buses and then the contract will likely be handed to a private business.

The Department also confirmed the rail line to Glenorchy would be ripped up sometime in the next year to 18 months.

If only the Liberals had a genuine vision for the state’s transport future that wasn’t so focussed on roads, and delivered genuine transport emissions reduction.

Media release – Josh Willie MLC, Shadow Minister for Transport, 6 June 2023

Liberals plan to privatise northern suburbs transport service

The Minister for Transport Michael Ferguson has today admitted the minority Liberal government plans to privatise the transport service that has long been promised to northern suburbs commuters.

Over five years ago the Liberals promised to “pull out all stops” to get light rail up and running within five years.

Instead, after years of inaction, Mr Ferguson today confirmed his plan for the corridor was a “rapid bus transit system” that would only run from Glenorchy to New Town, before connecting to existing road infrastructure.

Mr Ferguson admitted that even this scaled-back version of their 2018 promise was underfunded by as much as $170 million.

The Minister needs to answer vital questions, such as how much more will passengers pay for the Liberals’ privatised bus service?

Why doesn’t he trust Metro—a public company for which he is the responsible Minister—to operate the service?

And is the record debt he has racked up as Treasurer part of the reason he plans to privatise services on this key transport corridor?

This Government is all talk and no delivery. The list of dead projects promised by this Government continues to grow, and Tasmanians are rightly fed up with it.

Today’s revelation that the underground bus mall, a project announced with much fanfare during the 2018 election, is officially dead, adds further insult to injury.

The Liberal Government have had 10 years to deliver a public transport service along the Northern Suburbs Transit Corridor, and if they haven’t done it by now they never will.

New ticketing system did not go through open government procurement process

The new ticketing system announced today by Minister Ferguson has all the usual hall marks of lack of government due process and promising a timeline they won’t deliver on.

The state government today admitted that the procurement of Cubic to do the ticketing system did not go through standard open government procurement processes.

There was no competitive tender process so how can Tasmanians be assured the company selected will provide the best service, at the best value for money for the Tasmanian taxpayer? It’s not like the current government has a good track record in good governance.

This announcement today also smacks of another announcement from the Minister for Announcements, Mr. Ferguson but people will be highly sceptical of his delivery promises, given the cost blow outs and broken promises started back in 2018.

No one will be surprised if it takes longer than predicted, costs far more than anticipated, or goes the same way as the now extinct underground bus mall.