Estimates - Infrstructure - Bridgewater Bridge

CHAIR - Minister, these safety concerns around the Bridgewater Bridge are clearly very important. This project was touted as on budget and on time, and I think the final cost was $786 million including federal funds, but the budget paper includes $70 million last year, and $60 million spent, $11.5 million next year and $28.5 million the following year. So that's table 11.4 on page 273. Minister, can you just describe how much overall this project has actually cost?

Mr VINCENT - Thank you, Chair, and we'll need to seek advice on that split up of it, but I think that it all comes in on the 783 but ask Mr Moloney for clarification on that and the split up of the smaller amounts towards the end of the project.

Mr MOLONEY - Through the minister. At this stage, we are still finalising the scope on a number of smaller items that need to be undertaken towards the end of the project. That includes rehabilitating the causeway. We are concluding our works in terms of the demolition of the old Bridgewater Bridge. We are also undertaking the construction of an artwork on the Bridgewater side to incorporate elements of the old Bridgewater Bridge as part of our recognition of the heritage of the area and we're also implementing a heritage trail as part of the project. In addition, discussions have been had between the local council, Brighton Council, and the state government about the potential need and request for a park-and-ride in in the area. We're just preparing a concept design there. There's a range of matters that we're looking to conclude. At that time, once we can finalise those budget estimates, we will be closing out our funding arrangements with the Australian Government which will result in this in savings of several million dollars, so we will be bringing it certainly within the $786 million, but the exact figure depends on closing out a few of those matters. At this stage, we hold a certainly sufficient contingencies within the budget to be anticipating delivering a saving for the state of Tasmania and for Australia.

CHAIR - I will just describe how it worked quite well in the last committee. If there were points of clarification, which I think he might have actually asked for in your question.

Dr WOODRUFF - I only got one question as a result of it, to be fair.

CHAIR - No, you actually got two questions. In this difficult predicament of trying to be as fair and as reasonable as possible. I'm quite happy for points of order, quite happy to be pointed out. When you don't get answers necessarily, it's quite difficult to just move on. We will go to Mr Jaensch.