Labor to deliver $100 million pledge on new Bridgewater Bridge

OPPOSITION leader Bill Shorten will visit Hobart to announce that a Labor government would commit big money towards construction of the $576 million Bridgewater Bridge.

A replacement Bridgewater Bridge is on the Infrastructure Australia priority list. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

OPPOSITION leader Bill Shorten will visit Hobart on Friday to announce that a Labor government would commit $100 million towards construction of the $576 million Bridgewater Bridge.

“A Shorten Labor government will restore the $100 million cut by the Turnbull Government from the Midland Highway upgrade and use the funding as a down payment to build a replacement for the outdated Bridgewater Bridge,” he said.

“The new bridge will create local jobs and improve the safety and efficiency of freight and passenger movement in the state, and bring the bridge into line with current loading and design standards.”

Fresh call for Federal funding to replace the Bridgewater Bridge

The 1940s bridge is on the Infrastructure Australia priority list and had been expected to form the centrepiece of the next commonwealth-state infrastructure agreement, which will start in mid-2019.

In 2013 the Gillard government pledged $500 million to the Midland Highway upgrade but that was cut to $400 million in the Abbott government’s horror 2014 Budget.

“The Liberals have had five years to get this project under way, but have done nothing,” Mr Shorten said.

Labor infrastructure spokesmanAnthony Albanese said in an opinion piece in the Mercury that Budget documents revealed a slump in infrastructure grants to Tasmanian from $174 million in 2017-18 to $61.5 million in 2020-21.

Brighton Mayor Tony Foster demands State Government action on new Bridgewater Bridge

But Mr Shorten’s Tassie promise is modest compared with Queensland promises this week, including $2.24 billion for the Brisbane cross city rail project, $1 billion for the M1 between Brisbane and the Gold Coast and $80 million for the Bruce Highway at Cairns.

Labor has also promised to restore Australian Federal Police officers at Hobart International Airport and to provide $30 million for elective surgery if it wins the next election due next year.

The Hodgman Government promised during the state election campaign to commit $46 million over five years towards the bridge’s replacement. A business case was submitted to Infrastructure Australia in January.

Talking Point: Bridgewater Bridge saga a political football for too long