I was jolted out of comforting thoughts of a winter’s hibernation by an item of interest on log trucks on your website from that other old curmudgeon, The Roving Eye.
His “Not so sleepy!” posted June 4, said Greens environment spokesperson Nick McKim told State Parliament of a letter from a Huonville area resident complaining about 21 log trucks belting through in an hour from 3.30am one morning.
That reminded me of earlier complaints from down the Huon and the related matter of spending on roadworks, to wit improvements to the Glen Huon Road.
I recalled a letter a Glen Huon resident wrote to the Mercury a year back – of the residents there being “flooded with log trucks 24 hours a day, travelling on a road far too narrow for such large numbers of trucks”.
Well, around the same time, the Tasmanian Government announced it was putting its hand into its pocket to do something about this access.
In Budget spending for the coming year, then Infrastructure Minister Jim Cox said work would begin on a $5.2 million upgrading of the Glen Huon Road. The work would include widening and strengthening, plus a range of safety features. More than $2.6m was allocated for use during the coming year, with the whole project scheduled for completion by year’s end 2004.
So let’s move on to the Budget announced late last month and what do we find? There’s new Infrastructure Minister Bryan Green announcing $4.3m to “start” improvements on Glen Huon Road. So what happened to last year’s spending?
Is the latest dosh an additional allocation?
Whatever, grab the calculator again and consider what the Mercury reported in a feature on road money headed “A Hard Road for Councils” that appeared on May 22.
It mentioned road concerns of Huon Valley Council and said “the State Government was committed to spending $8 million upgrading Glen Huon Road. Work on the Glen Huon Rd-Huon Highway junction is now under way”. There was even a photo of Huon Mayor Robert Armstrong and a Hazel Bros worker inspecting the junction.
You don’t need to be Fast-Fingered Fred to tap out the figures that in Lennonland quite a bit of bread is being provided to get things through on the Glen Huon Road! A better outlet for lots of logs.
RAPID RESPONSE EMAIL: What do you think?
If you bounce,
tuffinlindsay@hotmail.com
Wednesday, June 16,2004