Federal funds ‘highly likely’ for new Bridgewater bridge
THE Hodgman Government says it is “highly likely” it will receive Federal funding for a replacement of the Bridgewater Bridge, with hopes construction can start in 2019.
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THE Hodgman Government says it is “highly likely” it will receive Federal funding for a slimmed down $533 million replacement of the Bridgewater Bridge, with the hope that construction can start in 2019.
The latest Infrastructure Tasmania report, released to the Mercury under the Right To Information Act, considered four options, varying from $441 million to $577 million with all excluding a rail line.
But a precast, concrete beam, $533 million four-lane bridge, with a height restriction for vessels of 16.2m, was preferred by consulting firm Johnstone, McGee and Gandy.
The report said there would need to be funds advanced for detailed design work, a detailed business case and a rigorous cost benefit analysis.
In State Budget estimates, Shadow Treasurer Scott Bacon asked why a new Bridgewater bridge was contained in the 2017-18 State Budget when it was not funded in the current year or any of the forward estimates.
“Is it usual to put things in the Budget that don’t have any money at all over the next four years?” he said.
Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding said a new bridge was mentioned in the Budget given it was “highly likely there will be funding in one of the out years”.
“It’s predictive of an outcome we strongly predict is going to take place,” Mr Hidding said.
The Infrastructure Tasmania report said it would be important to methodically respond to other plausible options that may appear to be more cost effective.
A previous 2012 design came in at $823 million.
“At this cost the project was deemed too expensive by Federal funding agencies and unlikely to ever be built,” the report stated.
It also stated that Infrastructure Australia would “not want to limit itself to the options canvassed in the JMG evaluation but will seek to satisfy itself that all possible options have been considered”.
“Including, for instance, why the relatively under-used Bowen Bridge could not service freight and passenger needs of traffic seeking to cross the Derwent River,” it stated.
The chosen option includes four lanes, with a design speed of 110km/h, provision for pedestrian and cycling traffic and a maximum clearance of 16.2m.
The Government will request that 80 per cent of the funding come from the Commonwealth and 20 per cent from the State.
The latest State Budget includes an amount of $335 million set aside for the period from 2018-19 to 2020-21 to be allocated to future infrastructure investment projects.
The report states that no public consultation had occurred in relation to the new proposal and records the concerns of Derwent Valley, Glenorchy and Brighton mayors that there was no provision for passenger rail on the new structure.
Negotiations are expected to begin early next year.
Greens leader Cassy O’Connor questioned the point of the office of Infrastructure Tasmania given the state had failed to get any major infrastructure projects funded in a Federal Budget that invested heavily in infrastructure.
Infrastructure Tasmania was created by the Liberals to co-ordinate infrastructure planning and advance projects requiring Commonwealth funding.
“Infrastructure Tasmania costs taxpayers $800,000 a year. Do you understand there’s a perception that taxpayers aren’t getting value for money given the Federal Budget had a $75 billion infrastructure spend and Tasmania was fundamentally left out?” she said.
“In the three years of Infrastructure Tasmania’s existence, what single infrastructure project has been delivered for Tasmania?”
Mr Hidding said there were no major Tasmanian infrastructure projects being considered by Infrastructure Australia when the Liberals came to government.
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