When residents and visitors move around Tasmania, they move by road.
From the welltrodden Heritage Highway connecting Hobart to Launceston to a scenic day drive through Cradle Country, locals know better than most the importance of good roads.
Last year we lost more than 30 people on Tasmanian roads with more than 300 critically injured. This is not good enough.
We're determined to make Tasmanian roads safer and that's why in Tuesday's Budget we are investing more than $219m to the state's road infrastructure.
These investments in Tasmanian infrastructure will improve road safety and cut travel times. This package will include more than $124m for new projects giving Tassie roads the investment they deserve.
A new Lyell Highway upgrade will boost safety and reliability of travel times along narrow sections of the highway. This will improve access to tourism hotspots and vital community facilities in New Norfolk and the Derwent Valley.
We are investing in new upgrades to the Huon Highway Corridor and planning for the Devonport to Cradle Mountain and Arthur Highway Corridors.
These planning projects along key Tasmanian corridors will lay the ground work for a pipeline of future investments that are properly scoped, designed and costed.
We are delivering on our commitment with $95m for existing projects such as the duplication of the Kingston Bypass and the Midland Highway.
We are also investing in the Mornington Roundabout, which we know is a key pinch point causing congestion and safety concerns. This investment will ensure the necessary upgrades for improved driveability and traffic flow.
These investments are on top of our $21m into the National Road Safety Data Hub that ensure the Hub can be used effectively by everyone, including decisionmakers.
This investment in our Budget is about getting Tasmania moving safely - to allow people to spend less time on the road and more time with their loved ones.
Our investment in Tasmanian doesn't stop at roads.
Australians are feeling the pressure of inflation and that's why we are delving cost of living relief. From July 1, our Government will deliver a tax cut for every taxpayer.
Everyone who works and pays tax will benefit.
It will mean that a nurse on $74,000 a year will get a tax cut of $1529, a primary school teacher on $84,000 will see a cut of $1779, and a police officer on $108,000 will have their tax cut by $2379.
This Budget will put more money back in Australian pockets because we want Tasmanians to earn more and to keep more of what they earn.
This opinion piece was first published in The Mercury on Saturday, 11 May 2024.
