Elise Archer MP

Centre for the Arts - 24 February 2010 at 7.30am

Thank you for convening this forum and having me along to represent the Tasmanian Liberals and present our position.

There is no doubt that investment is needed in infrastructure of all types throughout Tasmania.

The Liberals, if elected next month, will start off by establishing an independent body – to be named Infrastructure Tasmania – to consult and prepare, within one year, a plan that actually responds to the needs of the community.

Infrastructure is our ports, our roads, our bridges, our public transport, our rail, our energy supplies, our water and sewerage, and of course it is also our pedestrian access and cycle ways. 

Developing infrastructure is expensive.  It requires long-term planning. And this means spending decisions must be based on need, not politics.

And decisions must be based on putting the State’s interest first.

That’s why we think it’s important that Infrastructure Tasmania is an independent body – a body that sits outside of government, and can independently recommend priorities to the next government and the next government after that.

You might think that in such a plan, cycle ways may have less priority than, say, rail upgrade. 

You would be wrong, because the job of Infrastructure Tasmania will be to respond to the needs of the community, now and into the future, and to provide sustainable transport solutions for the 21st century.

Therefore, day one of a Hodgman Liberal Government, there will be an expert body to take input from your group, to look at the existing body of work, including the Hobart Regional Arterial Bicycle Network Plan, and take these projects from the paper to infrastructure on the ground.

And to get cycling networks off the ground, we all have to work together. 

There is no point in one local council putting forward a strategy for a new cycleway, which finishes, or is not completed, when it reaches the boundary of a neighbouring council.

To get interconnectivity, we need local government areas to work together, cooperatively, for shared goals, and an integrated approach to regional planning.

We all know the benefits of cycling to create healthy communities, just as we know the benefits of leaving the car at home and taking off on foot.  

But people are not going to change a lifetime of habits unless there is safe, accessible infrastructure to entice them to walk and cycle more. Many lack the courage – and it does take courage - to cycle on our roads!

This is changing slowly, with 42.1% of people walking and 9.6% cycling in the 2008 Tasmanian exercise survey, and I fully believe that if we create more walking tracks and cycle ways, these figures will continue to improve.

Of course, in an ideal world, there would be shared cycling/walking tracks alongside every road in the State, but this would be a massive investment, when there are so many competing priorities for infrastructure.

So failing that, we have to work out the best use of the funding available – fixing those black spots for cyclists, where it is unsafe for cyclists to use the roads – and ensuring cycle ways are built in areas that will get maximum usage in our communities.

As a result of a deal done by the Greens with the Australian Government over stimulus funding, there has been some $40 million available for cycle ways throughout the nation, and the Labor Government has tapped into some of this funding by matching it, to begin projects around the State.

I can assure you that a Hodgman Liberal Government will look favourably at any new plans or submissions put for further investment in cycle ways.

But I stress, I think we need to look strategically at the whole of the State for infrastructure planning.

One thing the Tasmanian Liberals can commit to, however, is working in partnership with the Australian Government and local government to continue to improve cycling and walking infrastructure for all Tasmanian communities.

We’ll also be looking very carefully at park and cycle facilities – investment in car parks at the end of cycling tracks, to avoid traffic congestion in our cities.

And we’ll also be looking at cycle and ride facilities – where people can cycle to a bus terminal, have their bike safely stored and catch public transport to work.

Such combinations allow people more flexibility in changing their transport habits, and might help mitigate our hilly environment, which may detract some people from commencing a cycling or walking program.

I want to also briefly touch on local government planning.  In my other role as an Alderman on Hobart City Council, I have of course been involved at the local government level, and I’m proud of the work undertaken by local councils and, in particular, the Hobart Regional Arterial Bicycle Network Plan, which amalgamates the work of the 2007 Kingborough Bicycle Plan, the 2008 Clarence Bicycle Action Plan, the 2007 Hobart Principal Bicycle Network Plan and the 2008 Draft Glenorchy Bicycle Strategy.

This is an excellent example of councils working together to deliver for a region, and their strategies now clearly outline the future opportunities for cycling routes across the Hobart region, and will be a ready and available reference point for our Infrastructure Tasmania body in recommending strategic directions and priorities for government.

Things such as sealed shoulders on high speed roads, dedicated paths and cycle ways linking shopping centres, access to education, our high schools, colleges and Universities, and on-road bicycle lanes need both Federal, State and local input – because all our roads are owned by each level of government.

When Infrastructure Tasmania brings down its priority plan, a Hodgman Liberal Government will look to further investment in cycle ways and walking tracks, to follow up the current government’s program which is coming to an end.

To date, in this campaign, the Tasmanian Liberals have committed $100,000 in funding over four years to support the Launceston Cycling Classic – recently renamed the Stan Siejka classic, in honour of one of the inaugural organisers of the race, who died tragically last September.

We will also lobby the Federal Government for additional financial support for cycle ways, as well as partnering with local government on strategic projects, to ensure more cycle-friendly tracks and trails in Southern Tasmania.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.