Glenorchy mayor’s $100 million vision for light rail

$100 million would provide a gold-plated light rail service from Hobart to Brighton, says Glenorchy Mayor Kristie Johnston.

Glenorchy City Council

AN investment of $100 million would provide a gold-plated light rail service from Hobart to Brighton, Glenorchy Mayor Kristie Johnston has told a Senate inquiry.

She said the Hobart to northern suburbs light rail project would take 32 minutes from Brighton to Hobart along existing rail corridors.

In a submission to the Senate inquiry focusing on infrastructure in Hobart, Ald Johnston said the project was more than just a transport option but about economic stimulus, good land-use planning, tourism, environmental, and health and social welfare benefits.

“There are fantastic opportunities for urban infill but we need a catalyst of good transport,” she said.

She said the project could turn around the low rates of patronage of public transport in Tasmania compared with other states.

Ald Johnston said Glenorchy needed a stimulus for investment in property.

“They see rail and commuter rail services as providing a certainty of infrastructure that they need in order to provide private sector investment,” she said.

She said there needed to be a broader examination of the benefits of such a project rather than just fare revenue and the same level of evaluation of road projects as there were about public transport projects.

Greens Senator Nick McKim criticised the State Government for not making a submission on the light rail project — especially in light of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s enthusiasm for public transport.

In response, Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding said Infrastructure Tasmania was assessing and reviewing reports about Hobart light rail and use of the rail corridor.

“It will be providing a recommendation to the Government by December 31, 2015,” he said. “The Hodgman Liberal Government has no predetermined outcomes in mind.”

The Southern Tasmanian Councils Authority backed a new Bridgewater bridge.

“There is significant economic activity occurring across southern Tasmania, but if we are to support this growth then we need to be investing now into the infrastructure to boost productivity,” STCA chairwoman Sue Hickey said.