The Greens have unveiled plans to invest three-quarters of a million dollars in exploring options to restore Hobart’s abandoned northern suburbs rail corridor.
Almost ten years has passed since the last freight train used the line in June 2014, with the party saying passenger light rail is the transport solution “Hobart deserves and really needs”.
Greens candidate for Clark Helen Burnet said the Liberal government has done nothing to “really bust congestion” and warned that congestion issues will only worsen if a solution isn’t implemented.
“Rail transport is a key fundamental for accessing the northern suburbs and making sure that there’s an increase in the housing and housing choices around this rail corridor,” she said.
“It’s known by the state government’s own calculations and former reports that this is the most cost effective way of doing it.”
Contrary to the Liberals’ proposal of replacing the tracks with a concrete busway, the Greens argue that rail is the rightful solution for what was and is a rail line.
“The rapid transit buses are an alternative on our roads that we have, but this transit corridor was built for rail, it should be used for rail,” Burnet said.
Instead, the Greens propose investing $75 million in researching how to implement light rail, exploring engineering solutions and determining the best stop locations.
“The Greens want to find those solutions for the northern suburbs for the increase in housing that we are expecting and need to happen along this corridor,” Burnet said.
“Rail is the way to introduce that uptake of housing and housing options along the transit corridor, which was part of the Greater Hobart plan. And yet nothing has been done.”
“This rail corridor has been left untouched by the Liberal government and they have done nothing even though the Greater Hobart plan has suggested that light rail is the best option for this area.”
President of the Hobart Northern Suburbs Rail Action Group Toby Rowallan backed the decision to keep the tracks where they are.
“The capacity of rail is far greater than buses. Destroying this corridor for buses, we know that is not a cost-effective solution,” he said.