What the Tasmanian Liberals will do:
A Hodgman Liberal Government will provide $11.5 million to the Launceston Flood Authority for urgent and essential works to complete the works on the Lindsay Street Levee re-alignment.
This work, which is well underway, is essential to protect the suburbs of Invermay and Inveresk, and the homes and businesses of around 3,000 people which will be affected if the levees are breached as the result of a significant flood event.
The Launceston City Council has advised that, if the levees are breached, the homes of 1,500 people would be flooded. In addition, a further group of 1,500 would be forced to evacuate because of the loss of water, sewerage and power services.
Apart from the significant loss to private property and public infrastructure, including schools, roads and the Inveresk campus of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, this level of flood would bring with it major public health consequences, including the potential for disease.
The major flood of 1929 recorded what will happen in such a catastrophic flood.
The Launceston City Council has made a strong case for assistance from both the federal and state governments in the amount of $23 million. The Tasmanian Liberals commit to providing dollar-for-dollar funding, in partnership with the Australian Government.
This is essential work that must take place in the next two years to complete the levee works in Lindsay Street.
We would provide $11.5 million spread across financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12 to complete these important remedial works.
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Video highlighting the issue in 2009 on the anniversary of the great flood of 1929
