Treasury has for the first time released an initial estimate of the total cost of the bushfires that ripped through the Tasman Peninsula, putting it at $45 million. 

About half of that will need to be met this financial year with the rest to come out of the 2013-14 budget. 

The bill includes $14 million for the immediate bushfire response by emergency services and another $14 million for infrastructure and clean-up costs, including the rebuilding of Dunalley Primary School.

Aurora will absorb the $10 million cost of restoring power to the damaged areas, which may lead to reduced dividends in future.   

Parliament must approve the extra expenditure. 

Premier Lara Giddings yesterday tabled a supplementary appropriation bill requesting an extra $63 million from consolidated funds to cover the initial bushfire costs and other unplanned items including:

 $12.2 million to implement parts of the jobs package;

 $3 million to pay salaries and business costs, which will allow the West Coast Wilderness Railway to remain open;

 $7.7 million in response to increased demand for out-of-home care and child protection services, as well as $63,000 to provide counselling services to people affected by forced adoption;

 $10 million to finalise the Police Mobile Radio Network upgrade;

 $2.5 million for corrective services; and 

 $1.4 million to provide funding to meet additional VET reform project management costs.

Opposition treasury spokesman Peter Gutwein said the blowout would contribute to the ``worst budget deficit in Tasmanian history''. 

``There''s every chance that as a result of Premier Giddings's incompetence the deficit for 2012-13 could now top $400 million,'' Mr Gutwein said.

Ms Giddings said the impact of the extra expenditure on the state budget's bottom line would not be finalised until the budget was handed down next month.