Michael Ferguson,Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
The Tasmanian Government is moving forward with planning for a transit lane as the only solution to ease traffic congestion on the Southern Outlet.
The Government quietly got on with the job of positively working with key property owners on Dynnyrne Road and the number of properties impacted will be considerably fewer than that repeatedly and falsely claimed by Labor and the Greens.
I am pleased to announce that due to our mutually respectful engagement with property owners, some negotiated acquisitions have now been agreed. Also, subject to final engineering advice, as few as four dwellings might be acquired.
As Minister committed to helping Kingston residents with a solution, I have consistently said that any property owners impacted by the new transit lane will be dealt with respectfully and generously and that has certainly been the case.
Greens Leader Cassy O’Connor has demonstrated her hypocrisy on the Southern Outlet. She has failed to back this public transport initiative despite her loud advocacy for buses over cars. Ms O’Connor could not bring herself to support the transit lane, which will be for the exclusive use of buses and high occupancy vehicles, including 70 extra daily bus services between Hobart and Kingston each day.
The Labor Opposition meanwhile has a policy for permanent congestion on the Southern Outlet. Despite the initiative as a part of the Hobart City Deal, Labor want to forever condemn more than 50,000 residents of the Kingborough and Huon municipal areas to time wasted in traffic jams and a network that simply can’t cope with interruption.
The Tasmanian Government is getting on with the job of finding a solution to this traffic congestion and the next steps will involve on-going discussions with home owners and geo-technical assessments of the land for the proposed 5th lane.
