Two years and not a dollar spent: $25m traffic funding idle

Not one dollar has been spent from a $25m federal government fund intended to bust Hobart’s worsening traffic snarls thanks disagreement between all levels of government. DETAILS >>

• Total spent on congestion reports hits $2.5m
• Hobart City Council to consider congestion busting ideas

NOT one dollar has been spent from a $25m federal government fund intended to bust Hobart’s worsening traffic snarls.

Federal parliament budget estimates hearings have been told federal, state and local governments can’t decide what the money should be spent on.

The Hobart Congestion Package was part of the Hobart City Deal signed in 2019.

Labor senator Carol Brown said Senate estimates revealed the package had been sitting untouched for the past two years.

“This $25m is fully funded by the commonwealth. It is for one thing only – to fix traffic congestion in Hobart,” she said.

“It was a 2019 election promise. They promised the funds but not a single cent has been spent.

“They sit on their hands while we all sit in our cars for hours on end.

“The Morrison and Gutwein Liberal governments have had meetings every month for almost two years without identifying or agreeing to a single project to end the gridlock. Not one project.”

Federal Department of Infrastructure bureaucrat Sarah Nattey told the estimates hearings there was no timeline for projects to proceed.

“What we can say is the discussions are ongoing and we hope to settle the scope of projects under that $25m in due course,” she said.

“It’s a complex negotiation and we don’t have a clear end date for it either. We’ll continue to work with the jurisdiction on options available.”

The Hobart Urban Congestion Fund project page on the Infrastructure Australia website notes that “priority will be given to the Northern Suburbs Transit Corridor and those projects that reduce congestion and improve transport”.

“Projects will reduce congestion and improve transport,” it says.

The project’s status is listed as being “in progress”. “Construction is expected to commence late 2021 and is expected to be completed by mid 2023,” the project page says.

Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson said discussions were ongoing.

“We do have funding available from Canberra,” he said.

“Be assured that $25m is secure.”

MARCH 25: TRAFFIC-calming measures introduced by Hobart City Council might be to blame for increased recent peak-hour congestion, Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson says.

Reduced speed limits on some city streets — from 50km/h to 40km/h came into effect on February 1.

In state parliament on Wednesday, Independent MP Madeleine Ogilvie described the traffic in her electorate as “just bonkers”.

“I have been inundated with communications on how and why, for some inexplicable reason, it seems to have become much worse over the past weeks,” she said.

“It is adding unnecessary pressure to everyone’s day, because people just want to get the kids to school and get to work on time.

“Surely we can do something to help. At this rate, even if you left now, the Easter bunny would not make it in time to drop the eggs off for Easter because he would be stuck in traffic.”

Ms Ogilvie suggested the appointment of a traffic flow expert in a bid to see if the clogged streets could be unblocked.

Clark independent MP Madeleine Ogilvie says Hobart traffic is “bonkers”, parliament. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Council’s speed limit reductions were estimated to add 18 seconds per kilometre to journey times, but reduce the them chance of death for pedestrians in crashes decreases from 85 per cent to 30 per cent.

Mr Ferguson said he had also noticed increased congestion in Hobart.

“I must say, while people have different opinions on some of the traffic-calming measures that have been introduced in Hobart in recent months I hold some concerns about the ways in which that may have impeded the flow of traffic,” he said.

“Hobart City Council’s management of those roads is a matter for Hobart.

“They have slowed the roads on the basis of safety concerns, so I accept and respect that. Mr Ferguson said he would look into engaging a specialist traffic-flow engineer to support Hobart City Council.

“I am happy to report back to the House on that after I have had advice.”

MARCH 11: HOBART commuters have been forgotten by a do-nothing state government as congestion gets worse, Labor leader Rebecca White says.

Hobart — reputedly the third-most congested Australian capital — has been hit by several days of heavy peak hour traffic.

At 8.30am today, traffic on the Southern Outlet was taking 15 minutes to travel just 2.4 km from the Mt Nelson turn-off to the lights at Davey Street — and there were long delays on the Brooker and Tasman highways citybound.

The state government held a traffic summit four years ago and the Hobart City Deal included money for a Greater Hobart Transport Vision.

But Labor leader Rebecca White says things are getting worse.

“This government has done nothing to ease traffic congestion in Hobart,” she said.

“There’s $25 million that’s been allocated for passenger rail: nothing’s been delivered.

“Ferries on the Derwent were promised: nothing’s been delivered.

“A fifth lane on the Southern Outlet: nothing’s been delivered.

“They’re very good at making announcements and absolutely atrocious at delivering on their promises.

“And the consequences are filled by commuters who were stuck in traffic every morning.”

But Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson rejected the criticism.

“The South East Traffic Solution is already underway, with a new overtaking lane on the Arthur Highway completed on time, and works underway on the Hobart Airport Interchange as well as a new signal-controlled intersection and duplication of the highway through Midway Point,” he said.

“Tenders have closed and works are expected to start in April on the Sorell southern bypass, which we’ve brought forward, which will ease commuter pressures.

“Planning is progressing on duplication of the highway between the airport interchange and the western causeway, with construction due to start next year.

Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson hit back at Labor leader Rebecca White and rattled off projects underway.

“Full funding for the final projects in the South East Traffic Solution – the duplication of the Midway Point and Sorell causeways – has now been committed.

“Building a fifth lane on the Southern Outlet is a key part of the Greater Hobart Transport Vision, and concept designs are currently being developed for the transit lane and Macquarie and Davey streets bus priority projects.

“Tenders for the ferry service closed in January and are currently being evaluated, with a contract expected to be awarded in the coming months, as committed.”

The state government on Wednesday announced a $1.5m feasibility study into building an eastern bypass in Launceston to improve safety, reduce traffic through the city and improve travel time reliability.

The last major feasibility study — a $762,000 look at a $3.4bn tunnel under Hobart — discovered it would require a population of around two million people to be viable, and would save motorists just two to four minutes per trip.

The government decided against it.

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