Legislative Council, Thursday 21 November 2024

Ms FORREST question to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE, Mr VINCENT

Down in my beautiful part of Circular Head, I drove the road from Smithton to Marrawah. Not to remind myself how bad the road is, but because I needed to go to Marrawah. The road is in terrible condition. It has funding allocated for an upgrade. My community would like to know when they can see some actual progress on the upgrade of the Bass Highway between Smithton and Marrawah.

ANSWER

Mr President, this is interesting. There are a lot of different Bass Highway parts here, all the way from Launceston to Wynyard and Marrawah.

Ms Forrest - I only want to know about Smithton to Marrawah.

Mr VINCENT - This one is Wynyard, but I imagine it would give you an idea.

I might start off by saying I had a conversation two days ago with the mayor there and I am booked in to go down in a few weeks to have a look.

Ms Forrest - Go in a bus and you will see how bad it is.

Mr VINCENT - He has organised the local bus driver to take us on a tour. I think I will be there in the middle of December.

Members - interjecting.

Mr PRESIDENT - It is not chat time. It is question time.

Mr VINCENT - All these road trips, I am really enjoying it. I am seeing bits of Tasmania that I have never seen for a lot of years and when you get offered to go with the mayor and a bus driver on a trip around some roads that need repair, at least I will know firsthand.

In 2018, the Tasmanian government committed $40 million to the upgrade of a 110-kilometre stretch of the Bass Highway, west of Wynyard to Marrawah. The Australian Government has also committed $60 million. The single carriage way between Wynyard and Marrawah was characterised by uncontrolled intersections and narrow road widths consistent with a road that was designed for a lower volume of traffic.

As we said during the 2024 election campaign, by the time we are finished, there will be four new overtaking lanes and at least 10 sections of the road realigned and up to 66 junctions improved. I am sure I will see that part of these -

Ms Forrest - Some of them [inaudible] I would like to know between Smithon and Marrawah.

Mr VINCENT - I do not have a time line at this stage. I am sure that after I do my tour down there and have a little bit more experience of what is needed, I will be able to come back to you early in the next year with a better idea.