Radio interview - ABC Hobart Drive with Lucy Breaden

HOST, LUCY BRAEDEN: Catherine King is the Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government and joins me now. Good afternoon.

KING: Good afternoon.

BREADEN: So early works have already begun on the bridge. What do they look like?

KING: If you're driving over the bridge, you'll see that there are a number of [inaudible] out there at the moment they're doing all the Geotech survey work, where the pylons are going to go. You can see them right at the moment. They're looking to just make sure that all the Geotech work is right. My advice, is that construction will start in October this year. So you'll start to see lots and lots of activity I think the site office is going up in the next couple of days. So you'll actually start to see a lot of activity on that bridge as we finally, finally get construction underway on what is the largest ever infrastructure project for Tasmania.

BREADEN: Traffic towards that area towards the Bridgewater Bridge, particularly along the highway is more often than not already congested. How you make sure that traffic continues to flow through quite nicely there when this project is going because it is going to take a number of years.

KING: Look it will and that's really up to the construction company to work with the Tasmanian state government. They're the delivery mechanism. But because it's a new alignment, it's a brand new bridge, the existing bridge will continue. Of course there is going to be some disruption and we know, that with a project this size, there will be some. But, because the existing route will continue while the new bridge is being built and I think you'll start to see as I said quite a lot of activity happening around that area. There will be staging of works to try and minimize that as best you possibly can. Because when you're building something like this, there will be some disruption. But, you really don't want to stop the flow of traffic too much as you're going ahead with such a large project.

BREADEN: Are you confident that traffic will be able to flow across it by the end of 2024?

KING: Well, that's certainly what the Tasmanian state government are telling us. I'm delighted that we're finally seeing  this project which, really has taken an inordinately long time. Our Federal Labor MPs have been telling me about this project for many, many years. That is what the Tasmanian state government has said, that traffic will start to flow over it in 2024, with the final full project to be open opened by 2025. That's my expectation. They said that's what they're going to do. Now it's up to them to deliver that.

BREADEN: One texter is wondering what's going to happen to the railway line and why was it not included to go across the new bridge? If there's no longer a railway line what happens to the future of public transport?

KING: That corridor is being preserved as part of the build obviously, there's some very historic components to that. So that will be preserved for any future public transport component of the bridge, that was not part of the funding. So we're really delivering with the Tasmanian state government, the actual bridge itself, but that causeway where the rail line is, that will be preserved for any future public transport project.

BREADEN: And is that something that the federal government would consider chipping in for?

KING: We do these projects in partnership with state and territory governments. And really, from my point of view as an Infrastructure Minister, we don't build anything we really invest in projects that are priorities for state governments to bring forward. We obviously come to the table with ideas ourselves as well. But today I've met with Minister Ferguson to talk about what some of those long term future priorities might be. And of course, if the state government comes to us with those sorts of projects, we're very happy to continue talking to them and have that collaborative relationship.

BREADEN: It's Lucy Braden with you on Drive and Infrastructure Minister, federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King is my guest. She has been visiting the Bridgewater Bridge and taking a look around the site and also looking at those early works which have already begun on the bridge. Catherine King, you mentioned that you've been meeting with the local Infrastructure Minister, Michael Ferguson today and talking about the long term future priorities and projects in our state. What are they what would you like to see happen?

KING: We want to deliver the commitments that we can we took to the table at the last election. That's our first priority and that's what will be happening through the October budget. The Derwent River Ferry service, we've committed $20 million to that. I've also met with the Hobart Lord Mayor to talk to her about what that's going to look like as well. So actually delivering that. We've committed, some $540 million across Tasmania's, key road corridors, so actually making sure they continue. The Hobart Airport obviously $60 million to there. We want to get those projects delivered. Our focus is obviously in getting the money through the October budget Federally to start to get that money flowing into the community. And then, as we lead into subsequent budgets, there's new opportunities for the state government to come to us with projects. But, it'd be fair to say that I see infrastructure, as not just about building a road or building public transport networks. It's what it enables. It enables economic activity, it enables social activity, it connects communities, it actually helps add to our net zero targets. So decarbonisation, getting carbon out of the atmosphere, and actually also improves living for people, it actually provides opportunities for people to live in better suburbs to improve their suburbs. So, we'll keep talking to the Tasmanian state government about what those priorities are, but it'd be fair to say it was a really good first meeting. I've known Michael for about 18 years now. It's always good to have that existing relationship, but we'll keep talking about what those new priorities will be and hopefully have some good announcements for Tasmania in the years to come out.

BREADEN: Who else have you been meeting with during your time in Hobart?

KING: Yes, the Lord Mayor of Hobart we've met with and we're now just on our way over to Launceston or to Lonnie to do some other further meetings and projects tomorrow as well.

BREADEN: Recently, when the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese came to Hobart, he said he is appalled at the progress of Hobart's Macquarie Point redevelopment. What do you want to see happening at Mac Point?

KING: This is a long term development precinct for Hobart really, and I think there are two components. Anthony, our now Prime Minister was Infrastructure Minister, originally committed some $50 million to really remediate what was an older industrial site trying to get it ready for development. I think the Tasmanian state government has put in a substantial amount as well. And really, it's about what that precinct is going to look like. There's been some funding for the business case and feasibility study of moving some anchor tenants in there. It's really about how do we activate that site? What does it look like? And I think there's still some work to be done about what what that actually looks like and at the moment, and then deciding whether there's some money and investment to put on the table for that. It would be not surprising that Anthony the former Infrastructure Minister back almost a decade now, started the process for remediating that site. We'd like to see some further project progress there. But obviously, that's going to again, take us to be in partnership with the state and the local government to really activate that site in a way that benefits everybody who uses it and wants to be part of it.

BREADEN: You won't stump up more money for that project until you actually start seeing more work at the site?

KING: We've got to know what it is that they actually want to do. And obviously we've funded the business case for activating that precinct. It's then about finalising that, looking to see what the next phases are of that. But again, no,  I'm not a Minister who announces something because it looks good and it looks good on paper and we get a good idea grab. I actually want to be able to deliver it. It really does mean sitting down with the state government sitting down with the local council there, to say how can we activate that precinct and what's the ask at the moment we don't have an answer on the table in terms of any dollars.

BREADEN: Was that on the table to go in to go and check out the site while you're in the state?

KING: No, that wasn't the purpose of my visit today. Really, it was to have an initial meeting with Minister Ferguson and then to see the great progress on Bridgewater Bridge.

BREADEN: Macquarie Point and I guess the surrounding areas is being touted as one of the areas for a possible AFL stadium in the state if we are lucky enough  to get an AFL team and a license for a team here. You say that the federal government will only engage in discussions after the AFL grants Tasmania entry into the league. Why is that?

KING: Because the first thing is that again, as I just said to you, there's no point in me announcing funding for particular pieces of infrastructure, whether it's a road, whether it's sporting infrastructure. The first is I don't actually have an application or an approach. There isn't this endless bucket of money that we just throw at things. We need to have an application, we need to have a business case, we need to actually see that there's something in front of us. So I don't actually have any of that in terms of the stadium at the moment. So I've got no, no request for funding before me. The use of it will be really be contingent on an AFL license and that's a separate issue, you'd need to obviously determine that you're going to have an AFL team and then, the Tasmanian state government in partnership with local council will need to say what is the supporting infrastructure you need to enable that to occur but really, getting the license is the first piece of that puzzle.

BREADEN: And being the Infrastructure Minister, do you think there is a special spot a particular spot where the stadium should go?

KING: Well, again, they are all matters for the Tasmanian state government to determine. We're a long way away. In terms of the Federal government being here, they're really matters for the Tasmanian state government to determine if that's what they want.

BREADEN: 5:18 it's Lucy Breaden with you on Drive and Catherine King is my guest the Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, currently in the state on the way to Launceston, but while she was in the state's south she was checking out the Bridgewater Bridge, having a look at what's been happening there. There is some early works being done and work is due to start official work, I guess you could say official construction work due to start on the site around October. There were five priorities set in 2018 by Infrastructure Australia when it comes to Tasmania, one of them being a second Bass Strait Interconnector, is that still relevant? Or do you think you need to go back to the drawing board?

KING: We'll look at the priorities that Infrastructure Australia has put forward and again, we need to do that in partnership with the state government to ensure that we're both on the same page. And because Federally, we don't actually build anything, we have to get the state government to then enter into those contracts. But what I would say is that we are currently reviewing Infrastructure Australia and its scope and what it does, I think it'd be fair to say there's a priority list some 600 pages long, hundreds and hundreds of projects in every state and territory and, we've got to have a look at what's ready for investment, where can we invest money, how is it going to actually help people and help people's lives, access to jobs, and we'll be looking at those projects as we head forward into the May budget, but really our focus at the moment, we're 10 weeks, I think 10 to 11 weeks in, after just having won the election. Really, we want to deliver the election commitments that we promised people in the state of Tasmania and across the country. And that's our priority to start with.

BREADEN: Catherine King. We'll leave it there. Thanks for your time today.

KING: Really good to talk to you.