The Greens’ proposal to rip $85 million in much-needed funding from our roads and bridges is not only irresponsible, it is dangerous.
As Ministers in the previous Labor-Green government, Nick McKim and Cassy O’Connor must share responsibility for a massive underinvestment in our roads.
Now the duo have produced an Alternative Budget Statement that is Southern-centric and contains a grab-bag of their ideologically-driven pet projects – partly funded through slashing funding allocated to improving our roads and bridges.
The Greens should explain exactly where they would rip this roads funding from and why they are prepared to leave thousands of Tasmanians at higher risk on our roads.
While roads do not cause crashes, we can reduce their incidence and severity by investing in safety improvements and regular maintenance.
International Road Assessment Program (iRAP)* research clearly shows that by lifting a one-star road to two-stars crash costs can be almost halved, and by lifting a road from two-stars to three-stars crash costs can be nearly halved again.
The previous Labor-Green government left the Midland Highway in a mess with 86 per cent of it rated at an unacceptable one or two-star safety rating.
That’s why the Hodgman Liberal Government has committed to raise the star rating of the Midland Highway to a minimum three stars as part of our Midland Highway 10-Year Action Plan.
The Government is committed to investing $728 million in Tasmania’s roads and bridges over the next four years; funding the Greens would slash.
* See http://irap.org/en/irap-news/582-life-saving-improvements-to-the-midland-highway-in-australia
Rene Hidding, Minister for Infrastructure
