NATIONAL SEA HIGHWAY

_{PO Box 2073 Caulfield Junction Victoria 3161 Melbourne Australia} 

_{Ph and fax 03 9532 8818}

_{email  peterbrohier@maptag.comau} 

Copyright 2010 P N Brohier

BASS STRAIT TRANSPORT EQUALITY -  A FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITY

Why won’t the Federal Government target existing uncapped Federal Bass Strait passenger vehicle and freight equalisation funding to deliver a fair, basic and surface transport link, using shipping, between Victoria and Tasmania?

All cities and towns are connected to the main portion of the National integrated transport grid, save for Tasmania.

Inter-capital interstate links are Canberra's responsibility.

Canberra funds inter-capital links across deserts and mountains and punts and bridges as part of the National Highway.

This is not a case of Tasmania suffering the tyranny of distance but of  discrimination based on terrain and Canberra's failure to provide equal links between all states.

Foot passengers, passengers in cars, southbound consumables, used household furniture, ancillary vehicles, northbound international exports are all not covered by existing Federal equalisation schemes. All people and freight are covered when using the National Highway. National Highway's cost our nation billions.

Federal equalisation funding seems directed by Canberra to mainly serve limited sectional interests within Tasmania and is not driving the whole economies of Victoria and Tasmania.

Bass Strait is not covered by Infrastructure Australia and transport equity and the principle of equal links between states are being ignored. 

The economic impact of targeting this link can be huge and immediate, and with no shipping capacity constraints.

If it is responsible to drive the economies of all other states by land-based links, why discriminate against Victoria and Tasmania because a water crossing is involved?

The Victorian Government asked for a AusLink connection to Tasmania, and Prime Ministers Keating and Howard took significant steps to try to deliver interstate transport equity.

This is an issue about the whole of Tasmania and its linkages between states and the rest of the Nations right to National Highway access to Tasmania.

Peter Brohier

Chairman of the former National Sea Highway Committee

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AFL TASMANIA SENATE HEARINGS  Submissions numbered 1 and 1A, by using the following link: http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/rrat_ctte/afl_tasmania/submissions/sublist.htm and  COASTAL SHIPPING ENQUIRY - HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES submission number 47 and 4 supplementary submissions, including documentary material contained in the last or fourth supplementary submission available from the following link. http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/itrdlg/coastalshipping/subs.htm

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