Andrew Wilkie (Denison, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, you understand how rail is clean, eases congestion and links communities, but in Hobart—despite there being a pressing need, an available rail corridor and popular support—a succession of state governments have shown little real interest in it. Will you act in the best interest of the community, economy and environment and promise to fund the Hobart northern suburbs light rail if the business case stacks up?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. I am not as familiar with this project as he is, although I have heard its merits being raised by advocates there, including by Professor Peter Newman, who is one of the leading transport economists in the world. It clearly does have its supporters; it does also have some sceptics.

Let me just say this to the honourable member: this is proposed infrastructure which is in the state of Tasmania and the primary proponent of such a project obviously has to be the Tasmanian government. Speaking for our government, we will support transport infrastructure in cities on the basis of its merit. Of course, we need good mass transit; we need good public transport; we need good rail, light and heavy; we need good roads and we need good planning. We are not assessing projects on the basis of any preconception or bias towards roads or rail, but on the other hand that does not mean that any public transport project will get unlimited federal funding. We are very conscious of the opportunities for value capture to ensure that some of the accretion in real estate value occasioned by the construction of mass transit, like the kind the honourable member refers to, can be taken to support the project. In all of my discussions with state governments, and I know I can speak for the minister in this regard too, we have had a lot of support on that and a lot of interest in that.

As far as the particular project he has asked about, I understand that Infrastructure Tasmania is conducting an assessment and review of the various reports about the Hobart light rail project. They will be providing a recommendation by 31 December to the Hodgman government in Tasmania on the priority of the protect and the use of the corridor. I am advised that the state government, led by Premier Will Hodgman, has no predetermined outcomes in mind and looks forward to examining the recommendations from Infrastructure Tasmania. In the meantime, our government will continue to work collaboratively with the Tasmanian government, as we always have, and seek to deliver real results for all Tasmanians. We will consider any request for Commonwealth support in a thoroughly businesslike manner, including, of course, assessment by Infrastructure Australia.