Legislative Council, Wednesday 26 October 2022

Ms FORREST question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

With regard to the recent damage to the Cam River Bridge, and the reduction of the capacity to a single lane due to damage sustained during recent flooding:

(1) Is financial assistance available from flood relief funds or other sources for businesses along the Bass Highway between Burnie and Wynyard that have experienced significant loss of revenue due to the loss of trade as traffic delays have impacted access to their businesses?

(2) If not, will this be considered?

ANSWER

The Government is currently committed and focused on the repair of the existing bridge. The new bridge will be higher and built to better withstand extreme weather events such as the October 2022 floods. The department understands the impact of this emergency lane closure, and appreciates the patience of businesses and commuters. It is anticipated that the lane closure will be in place for just over one week. It is also important to note that while traffic flow has significantly slowed, there is still access across the bridge. We recommend people take advantage of the free bus services, which have been given priority; or, if possible, consider travelling outside of peak commuter travel hours. The department is actively working with the heavy vehicle industry to understand their needs and help them to plan their operations.

The Tasmanian Government is helping local businesses affected by the flooding across the north and north-west of the state, and has always said that once we know the full extent of the impact, packages would be rolled out.

We have already announced a number of packages with the Australian Government and continue to work with the Australian Government in considering grant programs that would be accessible to businesses that have had a revenue loss or significant additional costs caused by impacts of the flood, such as infrastructure failure.

Any business that may have been impacted by the roadworks on the Cam River Bridge are encouraged to register their impact on the Business Tasmania website.