Clean up of the Tamar River will get under way after funds were allocated in the state budget.
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The budget commitment was one of several allocations for Launceston and Northern Tasmania.
Funds for the river clean up, detailed as part of the federal government’s City Deal has been welcomed by Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten and the Launceston Chamber of Commerce.
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The state government budgeted $31. 4 million for the Tamar River estuary.
"This funding will allow us to undertake a number of infrastructure improvement projects in coming years that will dramatically improve the health of the estuary and, as I've said before, this project represents the most tangible and coordinated move towards improving the health of the Tamar Estuary that the city has seen in decades,” Alderman van Zetten said.
Launceston's traffic will also be addressed, with funding announced for the Launceston and Tamar Valley traffic vision.
The vision includes improvements to the notorious Charles Street bridge, the Mowbray connector and planning for a new bridge crossing the Tamar River.
The traffic vision plan is expected to cost $53 million, with funds to flow across four years.
"The road projects are something we're very eager to see taking shape as these promise to make some real safety improvements, as in the case of the Mowbray interconnector, or reduce the congestion we see on some of our roads, as in the case of the Goderich and Lindsay St intersection,” Alderman van Zetten said.
Launceston Chamber of Commerce executive officer Neil Grose said overall the budget was a positive one.
“The business community has confidence when the government has its house in order,” he said.
“Confidence breeds confidence.”
He said the chamber was happy to see funds for Launceston’s roads addressed in the budget.
“Traffic is an increasingly difficult issue and an impediment to business with choked up roads leading to and from our main residential and industrial areas and $53 million towards the Launceston and Tamar Valley traffic vision will hopefully see the Mowbray interconnector finally started and the Charles Street Bridge and Invermay traffic issues fixed.”
Launceston will host two Big Bash League games in 2018-19 after the state government announced its support.
A Northern Tasmanian tennis centre will also be established in Launceston.