Hobart bus rapid transit network strategic business case complete as state seeks federal funding for project
The state government has completed its long-awaited strategic business case for a Hobart bus rapid transit network – but the 368-page document won’t be released to the public.
A months-overdue strategic business case for a Hobart bus rapid transit network has finally been completed and will be submitted to the federal government this week, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kerry Vincent says.
Considered critical to the Macquarie Point stadium’s success, the first stage would run along the Northern Suburbs Transit Corridor.
The 368-page business case was due early this year but has only just been finalised. The document will not be released publicly and it’s unclear whether elements have been altered or scrapped.
A draft transport plan released in 2024 suggested the network would operate on northern, southern, and eastern corridors, servicing Hobart, Glenorchy, Kingston, and Rosny Park.
Mr Vincent said work to prepare the final business case, including costings, would “begin shortly”.
“More detailed engineering, operational planning, stakeholder engagement and land-use planning work must be undertaken to inform the detailed business case which will help determine the final costing,” he said.
BRT reserves road sections solely for buses and includes design elements like off-board fare collection and priority at intersections.
The Rockliff government is lobbying Infrastructure Australia to include the bus network on its 2026 national priority list and is entreating Canberra to contribute significant funding.
However, a funding submission will not be lodged until the 2027-28 federal budget consultation. The stadium is due for completion in time for Round 1 of the 2029 AFL season.
Jason Byrne, a professor of human geography and planning at the University of Tasmania, said it was “critically important” that the proposed BRT system and expanded Derwent ferry network were delivered at the same time as the stadium.
“Otherwise, the city will be gridlocked every time there is a game,” he said.
Prof Byrne said a fully integrated BRT network across Hobart would be a “game-changer” for the city but would need to be “safe, reliable, efficient, and affordable” in order to convince more people to catch the bus.
“If the government gets this system right, it will have electric vehicles, with two or three carriages; people will have a smooth, quiet, and relaxing experience; the vehicles will be very reliable, travelling around one BRT every 10 minutes; they will always show up; and because they will have a dedicated corridor, they will always be on time,” he said.
The Macquarie Point Development Corporation is planning to establish a park and ride system using event buses, which will run when events are occurring at the stadium, while a northern access road and bus plaza will also be built on the site.
The government is targeting 60 per cent non-car-based transport for stadium trips – despite just 16 per cent of people using public transport to travel to central Hobart for work, according to the 2021 Census.
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Originally published as Hobart bus rapid transit network strategic business case complete as state seeks federal funding for project
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