Hobart's Riverline light rail plan gathers speed

THE State Government has hired consultants Pricewaterhouse Coopers to help develop Hobart's Riverline light rail plans.

THE State Government has hired consultants Pricewaterhouse Coopers to help develop Hobart's Riverline light rail plans.

Sustainable Transport Minister Nick McKim yesterday said the PwC contract was worth $135,000 and was the next big step in developing the project.

As part of its brief, the company would be asked to prepare a funding submission to Infrastructure Australia, identifying the transport problem and the range of solutions.

Mr McKim said PwC was ideal for the project.

"The company has advised governments on transport planning and funding in every Australian capital city," he said.

"That includes major light rail projects on the Gold Coast, in Canberra, central Sydney and Parramatta.

"The experts at Pricewaterhouse Coopers will help us prepare a submission, backed by community enthusiasm, that the Federal Government simply can't refuse."

Mr McKim said Riverline would be "transformational for greater Hobart" and help to reinvigorate whole suburbs.

Last month, he unveiled the new Riverline brand name and said stage one would be a service from Franklin Square in central Hobart via the waterfront and along the existing rail track around the Domain and on to Glenorchy, then Berriedale and the Museum of Old and New Art.

Mr McKim estimated the cost of stage one would be $70-$100 million. Extensions of the line along Elizabeth St to North Hobart and from Berriedale to Brighton would be added later.

Hobart Lord Mayor Damon Thomas and Deputy Lord Mayor Ron Christie had called for the North Hobart link to be added to stage one, while independent federal MP for Denison Andrew Wilkie said it should extend to Claremont, Austins Ferry and Granton.

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