It's been more than two years since then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull stood on the banks of the Tamar River and promised to reduce pollution and restore it to its former glory.
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That promise was made in 2018 and since then, the issue of the Tamar River/kanamaluka has been at the forefront of Launceston residents' hearts and minds.
The joint $95 million funding package for the long-term clean-up of the river, a commitment under the much-vaunted Launceston City Deal, was detailed after the Tamar Estuary Management Taskforce made a raft of recommendations in its river health action plan in December 2017.
During the election in May last year, the Tamar River was voted the single most important issue facing our readers in the Northern Tasmania federal election agenda poll. It rated higher than any other issue or project, including housing pressures and mental health facilities, which rounded out the second and third spots respectively.
The issue of the Tamar River appears on the surface to be an agenda item for our federal politicians, a solution to the river was funded under the Launceston City Deal and a task force appointed to find a solution.
However, despite releasing a list of priority projects that need to be completed to ensure the river's health does improve, there has been no tangible action to date on seeing those projects through.
To add insult to injury, it turns out that less than two-thirds of the promised funding from the Commonwealth government is expected to flow to those projects before the next state and federal elections.
The constituents of Bass need a guarantee that this funding will not be tied to any election commitment and that the funds will continue to be available if any change of state or federal governments occurs.
The river has so much potential but it will only be realised if all levels of government commit to making it happen.
In the same vein, more needs to be done to secure the future of New Horizons at Mowbray, who revealed this week they had been unable to secure one of three separate NDIS grants.
The service has helped hundreds of clients but its future was thrown in limbo when its funding was cut and transferred to the NDIS. However, it has yet to secure any funding from that stream.
Support for people with a disability comes in many forms and the NDIS shouldn't take a cookie cutter approach.
Let's see some action taken on this - before it is too late.
