With a federal election looming ever closer, the pressure is starting to mount on the Bass electorate's two leading representatives to deliver for their constituents.
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The two big ticket items in Bass are improved sewage treatment and funding for the relocation of the University of Tasmania campus from Newnham to Inveresk.
The biggest problem is neither project comes cheap - and that will be the conundrum facing both Labor's candidate Ross Hart and Liberal incumbent Andrew Nikolic. Can they convince their Canberra masters to hand over several hundred million dollars at a time when the federal budget is under increasing pressure?
To build a new sewage treatment plant - even one with secondary treatment - will cost upwards of $280 million.
The cost of a tertiary treatment plant is arguably now beyond reach at about $400 million, and given the fact many believe secondary would be sufficient, it's difficult to see anyone going down the tertiary path given the large cost differential.
Funding for any improved sewage plant would need to be shared between TasWater as it would be their infrastructure project, and the federal government - most likely through the auspices of Infrastructure Australia.
The UTAS relocation is another matter. Expected to cost upwards of $280 million, it's another costly project but one that is equally important to the region.
The state government has already earmarked $60 million for both the Cradle Coast refurbishment and Inveresk - although give the amount of funding it has thrown into the uni's Hobart projects of late it wouldn't be too much to expect that figure to increase.
That leaves the bulk of the funding to be raised by UTAS and potentially a benevolent federal government - Labor or Liberal depending on who has the deeper pockets. It wouldn't be beyond expectation for the federal figure to be as high as $100 million - although that's merely conjecture at this stage.
Selling the two projects to the community will be another matter. Launceston is crying out for improved sewage treatment, but sewage isn't inviting as an election issue, while a shiny new and improved university on the outskirts of the CBD is.
Both projects are equally important to the region for future growth and the development of our beautiful city.
