The Tasmanian Greens today used the first Question Time of the new Parliament to call on Premier David Bartlett to acknowledge the result of the State election in Braddon, abandon the controversial Tarkine Road proposal, and redirect allocated funding to a range of less divisive and more acceptable local job-creating options, such as those outlined in the Greens’ Diverse Economic Vision for the Tarkine Region.
Greens Member for Braddon, Paul ‘Basil’ O’Halloran MP, said the recent State election saw the Greens and the Liberals, who both campaigned to scrap the contentious Road proposal, garner 38,012 votes in Braddon as compared to the 25,947 votes received by Labor who were the only Party in favour of the Road.
“It is clear that the majority of people living in the Braddon electorate do not support the divisive Tarkine Road proposal, and I am calling on Premier Bartlett to acknowledge this clear fact, and to reallocate funding to a range of more acceptable job-creating options around the region,” said Mr O’Halloran.
Highlights of the Greens’ Diverse Economic Vision for the Tarkine Region include:
1. Tarkine Awareness, Marketing & Public Education Campaign $1.5 million
2. Arthur River Visitor Information & Cultural Interpretive Centre $2.5 million
3. Strategic Tarkine Road Upgrades $4.75 million
3a. Independent cost assessment & cost-benefit analysis $200,000
4. Explorer Attractions and Facilities including self-drive, mountain bike, lookouts, short walks,
interpretation, rafting $2.5 million
5. Tarkine National Park interpretation and tourism infrastructure at Corinna $1 million
6. Waratah Tarkine Visitor Centre & Tasmanian Devil Refuge Education Centre $2 million
7. Tarkine Great Short Walks Program $2 million
8. Tarkine Rainforest Trail & Tarkine Coastal Track feasibility studies $1 million
9. Tarkine Waratah to West Coast Mining History and Heritage Trail $ 0.8 million
10. Tarkine Southern Gateway Towns’ Visitor Infrastructure $1 million
11. Stanley, Circular Head Infrastructure and Marketing fund $0.75 million
12. Parks & Wildlife Service core funding and Tarkine infrastructure fund $3 million
TOTAL EXPENDITURE: $23 million
Download:
1) A Diverse Economic Vision for the Tarkine Region, released March 2009.
May5_Diverse_Economic_Vision_for_the_Tarkine_Region_P_OHalloran_ATTACH.pdfATTACHED:
2) Alternative Tarkine Spend Highlights, released March 2009.
May5_Alternative_Tarkine_Spend_Highlights_P_OHalloran_ATTACH2.pdf
