Sediment problems and the health of the estuary has been front and centre for this community for decades, and there's been plenty of funds thrown at it that have resulted in reports, reports and more reports.

The funding has also spawned myriad ideas for "how to fix" the estuary, as river users bemoan the loss of its function for their purposes. The Tamar Estuary, it should be noted, is an estuary, which is why sediment is a natural by-product of the tidal flows, and the ecosystem of the river.

However, after decades of mismanagement of Launceston's combined stormwater and sewerage system, along with now-questionablet traditional environmental practices for effluent management, the Tamar has buckled under the pressure of a community literally dumping sewage into the water.

On Friday, it was Labor's turn to take a stab at how to fix the sediment build up problem - and they flew down Senator Penny Wong to announce the plan alongside Bass candidate Ross Hart.

Their solution? To back the recommendations of the Tamar Estuary Management Taskforce and help to reestablish wetlands in the North Esk - to help with the "natural scouring" of sediment.

The TEMT report, which was released last year, has come under some criticism from river users, because it did not, in their mind, effectively consult with the community about how best to address sediment.

It also presented a plan for wetlands and boardwalks, that did not directly address the sediment that is built up in the community now. While federal funds, under the Launceston City Deal has been awarded by the current Liberal Government, it is unclear exactly where that funding has gone - particularly in light of the fact that the Tamar is barely any cleaner than it was when the funding was allocated in 2017.

It's clear that the Tamar is a complicated issue and one that will take many facets to improve - and it's also one that is emotive for the community.

But the question still remains whether Labor's plan will go far enough to support ecosystem health to the scale the community wants.

In saying that, the community has been waiting on an announcement on the Tamar during this election campaign, and Labor is first cab off the rank, so it remains to be seen if Bridget Archer and the Liberals will match the funding - or if they have another plan.

The ball is in their court - with the election only a fortnight away, time is slipping away to make an important announcement that could swing the marginal seat of Bass; the seat neither party wants to lose.

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