Cassy O’Connor MP | Greens’ Leader and Infrastructure spokesperson
Northern Suburbs Light Rail appears to be off the agenda under the Liberals, with it failing to rate a mention in the Tasmanian Government’s priority infrastructure report to the Federal Government.
In the Infrastructure Minister’s submission to Infrastructure Australia, Hobart Light Rail is not on the list of priorities although there’s plenty of money for more ever-more congested roads.
The Minister’s excuse was that the project and its funding would be part of the City Deal.
Of course, the Hobart City Deal wasn’t funded in the Federal Budget earlier this year and despite regular promises from Federal and State Liberals, has yet to surface as anything more than a mirage.
Residents of Hobart’s northern suburbs are left crossing their fingers that a Morrison Government on its last legs will put Northern Suburbs Light Rail at the top of its list of priorities – because the Hodgman Government won’t.
Tasmanians have been waiting in traffic for nearly a decade for even a business plan, let alone actual construction, of this critical 21st century public transport infrastructure. They can’t afford to be left waiting a decade more.