Is it time for the Tasman?
With the next stage of upgrades planned for the Midland Highway, we’d like to see a similar long-term plan in place for the Tasman Highway.
We campaigned vigorously for a 10-year plan for the Midland Highway, with the Bass Highway now subject to the same approach. It’s already much safer and the construction due to begin on two more sections in coming weeks will add to safety and efficiency.
What we now want to see is a long-term plan for the Tasman Highway. There’s no better time to make the case for a properly funded Federal-State plan than now with a federal election coming up fast.
Tourism, agriculture, and aquaculture are major industries on the East Coast and the Tasman Highway is a vital part of this. Every business, resident and visitor needs a safe, efficient, and reliable highway.
We welcome the important safety improvements to the Tasman Highway at key tourism turn-off points and the decisions to lower speed limits in some sections - this commitment to safety now needs to be the foundation for a whole-of-corridor vision.
A firm 10-year Tasman Highway plan will give local businesses, councils, and the civil construction sector certainty to plan and invest over the longer term and to drive growth.