Sorell commuters face an eight-year wait for roads funding

A Federal Liberal election promise for $130 million in road funding won’t be delivered until after the next election.

THE bulk of the $130 million in Federal Government spending promised for the roads between Hobart and Sorell will be delayed until after the next federal election, it has been revealed.

Labor MP for Lyons Brian Mitchell said the Coalition committed to spend the money on road upgrades along the corridor but documents tabled at Senate Estimates revealed $90 million of it won’t be spent until between 2022 and 2027.

UNCERTAINTY OVER WHAT $130M ROADS PACKAGE WILL FUND

Mr Mitchell said the revelation follows months of stonewalling by the Morrison Liberal Government on exactly how and where the money is to be spent.

The Sorell to Hobart corridor has been rated as the worst stretch of road in the state.

He condemned the slow rollout of the pre-election promise, which was made in April this year.

“RACT members recently labelled the Sorell-Hobart corridor as the worst stretch of road in the state,” he said.

“Commuters who get stuck on that corridor every day need it fixed now, not in 2027.

“Sorell’s population increased 12.5 per cent between 2011 and 2017 and we expect to see another 2000 people live in the area over the next four years.

“The road network is simply not keeping up and these delays are making life a misery for road users.”

TASMANIA’S WORST ROADS REVEALED

Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff and former Lyons candidate Jessica Whelan next to the Sorell Causeway for a roads funding announcement during the last federal election campaign. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

Also today, Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson said he was confident the Bridgewater Bridge replacement would be completed by 2024.

“There’s way too much politics being played around this vital piece of infrastructure,” he said.

“It’s now fully funded as a result of the federal election, and we’re cracking on with the work program to deliver it.

“The work of building it is now in train and the work program established.”

Questions were raised about the progress of the bridge project — and about a $20 million cost blowout for the Hobart airport roundabout — in Senate Estimates hearing in Canberra this week.

BRIDGEWATER BRIDGE PROJECT IS ‘IN CHAOS’

Mr Ferguson also hit back at Mr Mitchell’s claims regarding the Hobart-Sorell corridor.

“The timetable for the construction of the six projects was announced in our South East Traffic Solution before the last election and has not materially changed,” he said.

“Brian Mitchell is being tricky and he need only actually read our policy released before the election.”

The Federal Government pledged a $530 million roads package for Tasmania, the bulk of which was focused on the North-West and was funded in the 2018-19 budget.