Federal Labor has promised a key slice of the sewerage infrastructure funding requested by TasWater, pledging $75 million to improve Launceston’s stormwater and sewerage systems.
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The funding to deliver a modern standard tertiary-treatment plant to service Launceston will be announced by Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek on Thursday.
In a group statement from Ms Plibersek, MPs Helen Polley and Julie Collins and Bass candidate Ross Hart, Labor said the $75 million wastewater improvement project was the “critical first step” in TasWater’s planned $1.8 billion water infrastructure upgrade.
“It will put an end to the release of raw sewerage into the upper Tamar Estuary, contributing to unsafe and unsanitary water quality,” the Labor statement said.
Ms Plibersek said the investment would deliver thousands of direct jobs during engineering and construction phases.
TasWater has requested federal funding of $300 million over 10 years, as well as $100 million from the state government over the same period.
Labor’s commitment is contingent on state government funding and the finalisation of business cases.
Ms Collins called on Premier Will Hodgman to immediately provide financial backing for the project.
State Treasurer Peter Gutwein said the government would continue to work closely with TasWater, but said the decision needed to be considered in the context that the state had absorbed $600 million in lost GST revenue.