A COMMENT ON THE DRAFT TASMANIAN CORRIDOR STRATEGY July 2007 Airport

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A COMMENT ON THE DRAFT TASMANIAN CORRIDOR STRATEGY

July 2007

Southern Tasmanian Councils Authority GPO Box 503e HobartTAS 7001

Granton

Hobart

Airport

www.stca.tas.gov.au

http://WWW.STCA.TAS.GOV.AU

http://WWW.STCA.TAS.GOV.AU

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Contents

Executive summary

1. Background

2. STCA Understanding of the Framework of the Draft Strategy

3. STCA positive response to the overall approach

4. STCA identification of deficiencies in the approach

4.1. Strategic importance of the Derwent River Crossing

4.2. Inconsistencies created through the exclusion of the Brooker and Tasman Highways in the National Land Transport (AusLink) Network

4.2.1. Background

4.2.2. Meeting the criteria - Connections to Capital cities, areas of commercial activity and inter-modal facilities

4.2.3. Meeting the Criteria - Importance in the development or facilitation of inter state, inter-regional or International Trade

4.2.3.1. The Tasman Highway to the Airport

4.2.3.2. The Brooker

4.2.3.3. Linkages to the Australian Antarctic Territories

4.2.3.4. Tourism hub for Tasmania

4.2.3.5. Long term strategic needs

4.2.4. Safety issues

4.3. Equity issues

4.4. Inconsistency in logic

4.5. Current Situation and future projection

4.6. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

4.6.1. The cost-shifting argument

STCA Submission - AusLink Corridor Strategy - July 2007

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Executive SummaryThe STCA acknowledges the validity of the overall approach taken in the draft strategy, commends the Tasmanian and Australian Governments on their co-operative approach to the development of the Strategy and supports the strategic priorities identified for the Network .The STCA commends the State and Commonwealth Government for the identification of the “key road links” (currently outside the formal AusLink Network) as an acknowledgment that the Brooker Highway and Tasman Highways, connecting to Hobart and to the Hobart International Airport, are critical links in the transport network of Tasmania.The STCA believes the Strategy is deficient in not recognising the Brooker Highway and the Tasman Highway to the International Airport as part of the Australian Land Transport (AusLink) Network. It believes this for a number of key reasons:

• Legislative intent - We believe the AusLink Legislation is clear in its intention to include such strategically important road linkages. The Brooker Highway and the Tasman Highway to the Hobart International Airport meets several of the stated criteria outlined in the AusLink (National Land Transport) Act 2005.

• Equity - We believe the exclusion of these two Highways is denying Southern Tasmania opportunities to access funding to improve key strategic land transport infrastructure which is available to other States, other regions of Australia and other regions within Tasmania.

• Strategic Imperative - We believe the AusLink Corridor Strategy supports the case that these two Highways are strategically vital freight and commuter links for Tasmania. We believe additional consideration should be given to these road links in the light of the following:

• Hobart’s status as the national and international gateway to Antarctic territories (both air and sea);

• The Airport’s key role as the premier access point for both tourist and business travel in and out of Tasmania;

• The need to ensure that access is maintained, in the long term, to the Port of Hobart because of its strategic importance as the most accessible and safest deep water port in Tasmania (It is in fact the second deepest undredged port in the world after Rio de Janeiro);

• The fact that the Brooker and Tasman Highways have the highest annual average daily traffic flow of any road in the State and forecasts indicate they will remain as the highest volume roads over the next 25 years;

• The role of the Brooker Highway as the Region’s most strategic freight route – connecting Southern Tasmania to the northern ports and linking to other key distribution centres in the Glenorchy and Brighton local government areas;

• The role of the Brooker Highway as the carrier of the highest freight volumes in the greater Hobart metro region

The STCA would also like recognition of the strategic importance of the three River Derwent crossings, specifically the inclusion of a strategy that supports the development of infrastructure to secure the east - west crossing of the River Derwent in the event of a failure of one or more of the existing river crossings.Such an event would disrupt the effective operation of the major transport/freight routes impacting significantly on the economy of Tasmania.The STCA does not believe the inclusion of the Tasman Highway to the Airport and the Brooker Highway are an attempt to cost-shift from the State to Commonwealth Governments. The STCA believes the intention of the Commonwealth Legislation is clear and that the linkages identified should be eligible to be covered under the AusLink National Network. The STCA believe these roads are critical to the effective operation and viability of the transport Network in Tasmania and that they form a key part of the National Land Transport Network.


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1. Background

The Southern Tasmanian Councils Authority (STCA) is a regional organisation of 12 Councils facilitating cooperative working partnerships to improve the ability of Councils to take joint action to address regional development issues and progress sustainable economic, environmental and social outcomes for Southern Tasmania, its local communities and the State.

2. STCA Understanding of the Framework of the Draft Strategy

STCA understands the principal drivers of the draft Strategy are:• The direction of trade within the State of Tasmania has changed from one in which trade has

traditionally moved through the Port of Hobart to one that is characterised by increasing exports and imports through Northern Ports;

• Over the next 25 years, freight on the road network will increase by about 70%, comprising an increase of 125% on the rail network and 40% for passenger vehicles (providing future rail charges are competitive);

• In responding to the projected increase in the volume of freight and passenger traffic, such strategies need to address the impacts of that growth in terms of levels of service, capacity, efficiency, reliability, safety and sustainability;

• Projected significant increases in container traffic across Bass Strait, principally from the northern ports will increase demand for improved port facilities and the consequent increase in south – north traffic will result in an increase in demand for land transport infrastructure

• The changed direction of trade from south to north will require infrastructure improvements that will achieve efficient and seamless freight operations;

• Improvements should be based upon existing road and rail infrastructure to create greater efficiencies and to achieve a sustainable transport system in the longer term;

• Much of the demand for infrastructure is likely to arise from an increase in forestry operations;

• Demands for road improvements will come from road sections that exhibit a combination of:

• Potential high growth in traffic volumes;• High casualty crash rates; and • Low levels of efficiency in dealing with freight.

• Examples of such road sections are:• Around Latrobe and Burnie in the northwest of the State;• Between Hobart and Glenorchy; and• Between Brighton and Bagdad in the South;

In responding to these drivers, the STCA understands that improvements in the road infrastructure will be required to improve efficiency and safety and reduce the impact of traffic on local communities. In addition, the provision of a new transport hub at Brighton and improvements to the rail infrastructure to reduce south – north rail turnaround times and to increase the carrying capacity of trains constitute major responses to the issues and trends described in the Draft Strategy.


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3. STCA positive response to the overall approach

The STCA acknowledges the validity of the overall approach taken in the draft strategy and supports:

• The Strategic priorities listed on page 31;• The Short-term strategic priorities listed on page 32; and• The Long-Term Strategic Priorities listed on page 33.

4. STCA identification of deficiencies in the approach

While the overall approach is acknowledged and supported, the STCA believes that it has two major and related shortcomings. These are:

4.1 Strategic importance of the three Derwent River Crossings

The network of major trunk roads and crossings of the River Derwent in Metropolitan Hobart have a major impact on the existing Corridor and are an integral part of an integrated Corridor.

The security of the figure-of-eight network of major roads that connect the three river and estuary crossings (the Bridgewater, Bowen and Tasman Bridges) is vital to the economy, especially the Southern Region of Tasmania. People who live in Southern Tasmania and who are under the age of 40 have little recollection or knowledge of the catastrophic effect of the collapse of the Tasman Bridge in the mid 1970s in days when traffic volumes were a fraction of what they are now and a still smaller proportion of the volumes that are predicted over the next 30 years.

Provision of the Bowen Bridge alone will remain only a partial response to such a potential disaster as long as the roads that feed into that crossing on both sides of the Derwent continue to be inadequate. In this context, the non-eligibility for funding assistance from the Australian Government through the AusLink program for the planned improvements to road infrastructure on Brooker Avenue between Elwick Road and Hobart, which are listed in the Short-Term Strategic Priorities, is incomprehensible to the 12 STCA members.

The STCA believes that an additional longer–term Strategic Priority that should be included in the Strategy is “To develop Infrastructure to secure the crossing of the Derwent River and Estuary between east and west in the event of a failure of one or more of the existing river crossings”.

4.2 Inconsistencies created through the exclusion of the Brooker and Tasman Highways from the National Land Transport (AusLink) Network

There is an inconsistency with the relevant legislation and an inequity, when compared with other State Capital Cities, of the non-inclusion in the National Network of the Brooker Highway and Brooker Avenue into Hobart and the Tasman Highway as far as the Hobart International Airport. There is also no obvious consideration of the reality that underpins this exclusion.

The derisory description of these roads as “key road links” is completely deficient and ignores the importance of these strategically important linkages within the road network. Other key links


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identified in the Strategy located outside the southern area, for example the Illawarra Main Road and access to the Port in East Devonport, are also important as freight between the northern ports and Southern Tasmania’s export industries use them extensively to increase efficiency, effectiveness and timeliness

4.2.1 Background

When the Tasmanian section of the AusLink Network was defined the road links in the corridor were identified as terminating after the southern end of the Midland Highway. This means that almost the first kilometre of the northern end of the Brooker Highway is included in the AusLink National Network, but the remainder (about sixteen kilometres) of the most vital arterial link through Greater Hobart to the Port of Hobart and Hobart City has been excluded. It is also worth noting that, unlike many other centres, the AusLink Corridor in Tasmania does not connect to the capital city’s airport.

There are two basic arguments to support extension of the Auslink Corridor from Granton to the Port of Hobart and Hobart City (Brooker Highway and Brooker Avenue) and from the City to Hobart International Airport (Tasman Highway).

The first of the arguments is the obvious intention of the AusLink (National Land Transport) Act 2005 and the degree to which the Brooker and Tasman Highways meet the criteria that define the National Land Transport Network.

The second argument is one of equity based on the extent to which Southern Tasmania is being treated differently from other regions in Australia.

4.2.2 Meeting the criteria - Connections to capital cities, areas of commercial activity and inter-modal facilities

The actual criteria that are detailed in the legislation (AusLink (National Land Transport) Act 2005 - Part 2 Section 5) are:

The National Land Transport Network is to consist of such of the following in the States as the Minister considers, subject to subsection (3), should be included:

(a) existing and proposed roads: (i) connecting 2 capital cities; or (ii) connecting a capital city and a major centre of commercial activity; or (iii) connecting 2 major centres of commercial activity; or (iv) connecting a capital city or a major centre of commercial activity and an

intermodal transfer facility; or (v) in a capital city or a major centre of commercial activity that connect 2 or

more roads covered by any of subparagraphs (i) to (iv); or (vi) connecting a road covered by any of subparagraphs (i) to (v) and an

intermodal transfer facility;

When comparing the Brooker Highway and the Tasman Highway to the Airport with these criteria it begs the question – why are these roads being excluded when they so obviously fit one or more of the criteria? They not only fit a single criterion, which is the minimum requirement, since the


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Brooker Highway fits at least 4 of the criteria and the Tasman Highway as far as the Hobart International Airport, two.

Criteria Brooker Highway Tasman Highway to Airport

Connecting 2 capital cities • Connects Hobart and Melbourne

• Connects Hobart and all other State Capitals

• Connects Hobart to the Airport and then to all other capital cities

Connecting a capital city and a major centre of commercial activity

• Connects Hobart and the Northwest Coast

• Connects Hobart and Launceston

n/a

Connecting 2 major centres of commercial activity

• Connects Hobart and the Devonport

• Connects Hobart and Burnie• Connects Hobart and

Launceston• Connects Hobart and Bell

Bay

n/a

Connecting a capital city or a major centre of commercial activity and an intermodal transfer facility

• Will connect Hobart with the proposed Brighton Inter-modal facility

• Connects Hobart and Bell Bay

• Connects Hobart and the Port of Burnie

• Connects Hobart and the Port of Devonport

• Connects Hobart and the Airport

• Will connect the Airport with the proposed Brighton Inter-modal facility

• Connects the Airport to the Port of Hobart

In a capital city or a major centre of commercial activity that connect 2 or more roads covered by any of subparagraphs (i) to

n/a n/a

Connecting a road covered by any of subparagraphs (i) to (v) and an intermodal transfer facility

n/a n/a


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4.2.3 Meeting the Criteria - Importance in the development or facilitation of inter state, inter-regional or International Trade

The overarching criteria for a road to be included in the National Transport Network is that it must not be included:

“unless the Minister is satisfied that the road, railway or facility is or will be important for either or both of the following:

(a) the development of international, interState or interregional trade and commerce;

(b) the facilitation of international, interState or interregional travel.”

The STCA believes that the Brooker Highway to Hobart and the Tasman Highway to the Hobart International Airport fall well within these requirements, both because of the role the two highways play in the Tasmanian economy as well as the broader strategic direction the State is heading.

4.2.3.1 Brooker Highway

The Brooker Highway is the key road link from the North of Tasmania to its capital City of Hobart.

• At its northern end at Granton, the Brooker Highway carries around 1.75 million tonnes of freight with a value of about $1.75 billion. This overall freight load and value varies only slightly into the Derwent Park Road area, where it jumps to over 2 million tonnes/$1.9 billion at a point north of Cleary’s Gates before declining to approximately 1.25 million tonnes/$950 million just north of the Railway Roundabout near the CBD of Hobart.

4.2.3.2 Tasman Highway to the Airport

Tasmania is an island state that suffers from the disadvantage of not having a direct road link to the mainland. It consequently has a unique reliance on air and sea transport to get goods and people in and out of the State. Some of the key variables that need to be taken into consideration include:

• Over 80% of passenger arrivals and departures into Tasmania are by air. • Passenger traffic through Tasmania’s airports has increased from just over 1.7 million

passengers in 1995-96 to over 2.6 million passengers in 2004-05. • Hobart’s share of total passenger traffic to Tasmania has grown from over 49% to over

58% of total passengers • During the 2004/05 financial year, a record number of passengers used the Hobart Airport

- 1.5 million compared to 1.2 million in 2003/04. • While only about 1% of Tasmania’s freight is carried by air, it is a critical mode for mail

and parcel freight, time-sensitive produce such as fresh and live seafood and high-value fruit exports to Asia as well as deliveries of parts to repair plant and equipment in export oriented manufacturers.

Other significant issues that support the two Highways being included are:


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4.2.3.3 Linkages to the Australian Antarctic Territories

Hobart Port and the Hobart Airport are being developed as vital staging points for Antarctica, supporting a broad range of organisations such as:

• The Australian Antarctic Division• Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies• Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources• CSIRO’s Marine and Atmospheric Research Division

As well as these organisations, strategically, the Port of Hobart supports a number of shipping operations that operate in the Southern Ocean such as:

• Australian Antarctic Program o Aurora Australis o Vasiliy Golovnin

• Australian Customs Service o Oceanic Viking

• CSIRO o Southern Surveyor

• French Antarctic Program o l’Astrolabe

• Heritage Expeditions o Akademik Shokalskiy

• Orion Expedition Cruises o Orion

• Quark Expeditions o Kapitan Khlebnikov

• US Coast Guard ships

These, and other specialist shipping activities, are major strategic national and international connections that must be supported by the Australian Government.

When fully operational the Antarctic Airlink, will deliver between 200 and 250 personnel and high priority equipment between Hobart and the Casey, Davis and Mawson Stations and other international locations within Antarctica.

The strategy to continue to develop the Antarctic gateway into the future hinges on the State’s ability to support not only Australian Antarctic efforts but also to attract other Countries’ Antarctic programs. The importance, nationally and internationally of the infrastructure linkages between the Port of Hobart, the Hobart International Airport and the City of Hobart itself cannot be understated.

4.2.3.4 Tourism hub for Tasmania

To obtain an indication of the importance of these two Highways to the Tourism Industry and the economy of the State, the following numbers of Visitors to the State are presented. During the year ending December 2006, the number of visitors that drove on Tourism routes that included either the Brooker or the Tasman Highway to the Airport was:


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• Heritage Highway – 203,400;• Convict Trail – 287,200; and• East Coast Escape – 223,200.

The Port of Hobart also caters for a growing number of cruise ship visits each year. In 2007/08 we are expecting 25 Cruise Ships in Hobart with an expected passenger total of 44,140 and in 2008/09 we are expecting 25 Cruise Ships in Hobart with an expected passenger total of 47,910 These ships include:

• The Queen Elizabeth 2 - 1,892 (all berths) passengers 1,015 officers and crew• Sapphire Princess - 2,670 passengers, 1,100 crew• Crystal Serenity - 1,080 passengers, 655 crew• Rhapsody of the Seas - 2,435 passengers, 765 crew

4.2.3.5 Long term strategic needs

The Port of Hobart, while currently diminishing in importance as a freight hub is still regarded as the best deep water, protected port in the State and not to recognise the long-term strategic importance of appropriate infrastructure linkages to the Port of Hobart would be short sighted and potentially costly in the future.

Clearly the Brooker Highway and the Tasman Highway to the Airport are instrumental in the development of international, inter-state and inter-regional trade and commerce.

4.2.4 Safety issues

The upgrading of the existing AusLink corridor is strongly supported by the STCA on safety grounds. The figures for accidents in the Southern region of the existing corridor, and the focus of much STCA member concern, show the following:

• The upgrading of the existing AusLink corridor is strongly supported by the STCA on safety grounds. The number accidents in the Southern region that occur within the the existing corridor are a focus of much STCA member and wider community concern.

• Fatalities and serious injuries (road users not crashes) for the Midland Highway between the towns that delineate the proposed by-pass from Bridgewater to Dysart, in the vicinity of each town for 2001-2007 are:

• Bridgewater - 4 serious injuries

• Brighton - 9 serious injuries

• Pontville - 3 fatalities and 6 serious injuries

• Mangalore - 4 serious injuries

• Bagdad - 3 fatalities and 7 serious injuries

Equivalent numbers for the Brooker Highway and the Tasman Highway to the Airport (2002 to 2007), are of equal concern:

• Brooker Highway (around Granton to near ABC roundabout): 33 serious injuries, 3 fatalities

• Tasman Highway (near ABC roundabout to Holyman Ave): 22 serious injuries, 2 fatalities


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4.3 Equity issues

Unlike the five mainland capitals, which under AusLink have defined ‘urban corridors’ within their metropolitan boundaries, the Tasmanian corridor does not include any such intra-metropolitan corridors. Within the urban corridors of the five mainland capitals connectivity to

ports and airports is taken into account through definition of both road and rail linkages. This adds weight to the case for inclusion in the AusLink National Network of the entire Brooker Highway to the Port of Hobart, and the Tasman Highway from the Hobart CBD to Hobart Airport.

The map of the Adelaide Urban Corridor is attached here to demonstrate this point, with the links to the Port of Adelaide and Adelaide Airport circled. These links are all part of the defined AusLink National Network, showing that connectivity to ports and airports has been specifically considered for other corridors. All mainland capitals have essentially the same degree of connectivity to ports and airports in their AusLink Urban Corridors as does Adelaide.


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As well as this, there are other mainland corridors involving smaller regional cities, some considerably smaller than Hobart, where AusLink road and rail links specifically connect to ports or adjacent access roads. There is certainly a logical case to be made to include the entire Brooker Highway, and the Tasman Highway to Hobart Airport, in the Tasmanian section of the AusLink National Network. This is not only on the basis of the significant freight and passenger traffic that the Brooker Highway already carries, but also on the basis of its connectivity to a working port and adjacent rail terminal. The volumes in terms of passenger numbers and aircraft movements at Hobart Airport also warrant consideration for the extension of the Corridor along the Tasman Highway from the Hobart CBD to Holyman Avenue.

Given that there are regional and metropolitan AusLink Corridors on the mainland that have been defined as connecting to ports and airports, there is ample reason to argue the case that the port and airport of Hobart should also be connected to the Tasmanian section of the AusLink National Network.

4.4 Inconsistency in logic

The current AusLink road corridor in Tasmania consist of the linkages between Burnie, Devonport, Launceston, Bell Bay and Granton. This implies, if the Land Transport Act has been correctly interpreted, that these points on the map are either:

• Capital cities• Inter-modal facilities or• Major Commercial centres

While Burnie, Devonport, Launceston and Bell Bay all fall easily within these definitions it is difficult to make a case for Granton being either Capital City, Inter-modal facility or major Commercial Centre.

Similarly, it would be difficult to sustain an argument that the Capital City of Tasmania is either Burnie, Devonport, Bell Bay or Granton.

The way in which the current National Road Transport Network is defined means that there is no connection to the State’s Capital City.

4.5 Current Situation and future projection

Currently, most of the Brooker Highway, about sixteen kilometres within the boundaries of Greater Hobart, remains outside of the AusLink National Network. This is of concern as the Highway obviously constitutes the major arterial road link through Greater Hobart to the port precinct and existing rail terminal, and carries significant freight and passenger traffic. This is also in spite of the fact that the corresponding section of the rail line is included in the AusLink National Network.In addition the Brooker Highway and the Tasman Highway have the highest annual average daily traffic flow of any road in the State and are forecast to remain as the highest volume roads over the next 25 years.


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The Brooker Highway is also a critical link for the transportation of freight between Hobart and the northern ports, especially Devonport and Burnie. While about half of the freight hauled along the Brooker Highway involves trips within the area of Greater Hobart, there is significant outgoing traffic destined for the Port of Devonport (more than twenty per cent). Inbound freight traffic from the ports of Devonport and Burnie is even more significant, accounting for about forty per cent of the value of payload carried on the Brooker Highway into Greater Hobart. Most of the inbound freight consists of mixed groceries and consumer goods, motor vehicles and parts, and petroleum products.

A number of significant activities and business are located very close to the Brooker Highway and use the road every day. These include:

• Zinifex• Cadburys• Incat• Selfs Point Oil Depot• Cascade.

The relocation of the Southern Region’s major transport hub to Brighton will change the nature of the traffic on the Highway, but will not alter its strategic role in moving the Region’s freight task as is illustrated by the information contained in the following diagram.


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5. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Projects that are eligible for AusLink funding are approved at the discretion of the Minister and are required to be consistent with the approved Strategy and can include:

(a) the construction or maintenance of an existing or proposed road that is included in the National Land Transport Network;

(b) the construction or maintenance of an existing or proposed railway that is included in the National Land Transport Network;

(c) the construction of an existing or proposed inter-modal transfer facility that is included in the National Land Transport Network;

(d) the acquisition or application of technology that will, or may, contribute to the efficiency, security or safety of transport operations on the National Land Transport Network.

Extending the corridor would mean that Commonwealth AusLink funding allocated to Tasmania would be spread over a slightly longer total length of road (increased by about thirty-two kilometres), although this additional length is negligible compared to the total length of Tasmania’s AusLink road corridor. Without their inclusion these important sections of the State’s road network will miss out altogether on the opportunity to apply for funds under the AusLink allocation for funding of the National Land Transport Network.

The focus for road funding over the past 25 years has certainly been on the important links in the North and North west. There is now a real need to ensure the standard of infrastructure across the State is consistent.

The estimated investment on the AusLink Road network and key road links over the period 1980-2005 by Commonwealth and State Governments, in current dollars, not including maintenance has been:

Investment in Tasmanian Roads State & Commonwealth Governments

Total Estimated Investment = $798 Million


North South North South

94%

6%

84%

16%

Proportion of road funding spent in South (excluding

Bridge commitment)

Proportion of road funding spent in South (including

Bridge commitment)

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Estimated investment on the AusLink Road network and key road links over the period 1980-2005 by Commonwealth & State

Governments, in current dollars, (not including maintenance)North

Burnie to Wynyard Airport (Key Link) $25m

Devonport to Burnie $364m

Launceston to Devonport $280m

Bell Bay to Launceston $15m

Launceston to Perth $28m

Perth to Conara $42m

Total $754m

South

Conara to Bridgewater $11m

Bridgewater to Hobart (Key link) $15m

Hobart to Hobart Airport (Key Link) $18m

Total $44m*

*Note that the Commonwealth has committed $100m to the building of a new bridge at Bridgewater.

5.1 The Cost shifting argument

Cost-shifting between levels of government is a real and ongoing cause of concern for each tier of Government. Cost shifting occurs when a tier of government pushes responsibility for an activity onto another level of government without appropriate revenue to cover the costs of that activity.

The STCA would not be supportive of a change in the status of these roads unless the intent of the legislation was clear. In this instance we believe that the Tasman Highway to the Airport and the Brooker Highway/Brooker Avenue fall well within the criteria specified in the Land Transport Act and there is therefore a good case for their inclusion and eligibility for funding.

It should also be noted that funding under this program is subject to the Minister’s discretion, which would ensure that projects that successfully received funding would be strategically important and not be open to cost shifting.


Documents

A COMMENT ON THE DRAFT TASMANIAN CORRIDOR STRATEGY July 2007 Airport