No joy for Lakes Rd improvements

THE State Government was continuing to ignore the potential of the Highland Lakes Rd, Western Tiers MLC Greg Hall said yesterday. Mr Hall said sealing the road was a good alternative to the controversial Tarkine Road project in the north-west. Originally called the Lake Highway, the Highland Lakes Rd is a partially sealed route linking Bothwell and Deloraine via the central plateau.

"I have formally written to the Tasmanian Government submitting the case for embracing sealing of the [road]  an alternative to the Tarkine Rd project," Mr Hall said. “My letter to the Minister for Infrastructure requested that an appropriate portion of the $23 million allocated in the State Budget for the Tarkine Rd be reallocated to progressively seal the Lake Secondary Rd."

Mr Hall said the idea had strong community support and the sealing of this road through the heart of Tasmania was decades overdue. "This would offer a viable alternative north-south route to the Midlands Highway from the north-west of the state,” he said.

Mr Hall said about 18km of the lakes road was still gravel, from the northern end of Great Lake down to Miena. "This should be sealed in the interests of safety and promoting tourism. The Haulage Hill section of the road can be particularly treacherous in poor weather needs to be sealed as a priority."

"It should not be forgotten that apart from the huge tourism potential, including further tapping into the iconic recreational fishing opportunities, there are also many more people living permanently in the Great Lake area than ever before and there is significant seasonal traffic for families visiting holiday shacks. I have been banging this drum since 2004."

The Highland Lakes Rd (below)

Adams welcomes apple exports to China

FRUIT growing in the Derwent Valley has been given a potential boost with the recent approval of apple exports to China. "This is a great step forward for our apple export industry," Lyons MHR Dick Adams said last week. "Tasmania was once known as the 'Apple Isle' and with good reason - our producers grow some of the finest apples in the world. This step forward will only enhance our international reputation," he said.

Mr Adams said the Derwent Valley had a strong history of fruit production, which in recent years has encountered some setbacks. "This announcement builds upon the Derwent Valley’s success in the lucrative non-fumigated Japanese cherry market, and it’s to be hoped that this will signal a new strength in Tasmanian fruit exports," he said.

Mr Adams said China had now recognised Tasmania’s pest-free status for fruit flies and the monitoring and control program for apple codling moth along with orchard management of light brown apple moth, woolly apple aphid and brown rot. "“I commend the work that has been done to allow Tasmanian growers to access the Chinese market under a new workable protocol system."

X-ray patients suffering

THE lack of operational x-ray facilities at the New Norfolk Hospital were starting to have an adverse impact on patients, Greens MHA Tim Morris told State Parliament late last month. Following-up his earlier question to health minister Michelle O'Byrne raised the matter again on the adjournment on June 22.

"Tonight I would like to rise to follow on from a question that I asked the Minister for Health last week in relation to the x-ray unit at the New Norfolk District Hospital," Mr Morris said. "I asked her whether the government would look at re-opening that facility. The brief response she gave me was that the government would look at seeing if they could find a consultant. That, of course, is not the only option available.The other option that is very logical would perhaps be for the government to operate that service itself and to employ a radiologist to provide that service.

"I have a report today of a patient at the New Norfolk District Hospital who was this morning in some urgent need of an x-ray. They were taken to Glenorchy for that x-ray and whilst travelling down to Glenorchy their condition significantly deteriorated - for some reason of which I am not aware," Mr Morris said. So this is while we have potentially a fully-equipped radiology section at the New Norfolk District Hospital, established and run by Rush Tracey a number of years ago and subsequently by another operator.  I suspect the government itself may have utilised that facility and run that facility at some stages.

"Everyone from the Derwent Valley and the Central Highlands who comes down through the Derwent Valley now has to come at least to Glenorchy to access radiology services whilst there is a perfectly good radiology department sitting idle at the New Norfolk District Hospital," Mr Morris said. "I would urge the government, in response to the comments from the minister last week, to keep an eye out for a private operator.  Yes, it would be lovely if a private operator would come in and operate a five part-day or five full-day a week service.  If that is not possible it would be good for the government also to look at whether it might be able to provide staffing to keep that facility open at least for a few hours each day.

Mr Morris said there was "quite a significant demand" for an x-ray service in the Derwent Valley, both from the hospital, dental services, Corumbene aged care home and the former Ouse hospital. "We have a community of more than 10,000 people in the area who have to drive away from their local services because that service is closed. I would encourage this government to seriously look at the options that might be available for re-opening and providing that service from New Norfolk because we are starting to see and have reports of adverse outcomes for individuals because that service is not available."

New Norfolk back on track

THE Eagles have recovered from last weekend's shock loss to claim three good wins over Lindisfarne at Boyer Oval yesterday. The seniors prevailed over the Two Blues by 44 points while the reserves were victorious by 31 points and the colts won by a massive 162 points.

Scores - seniors
New Norfolk 0.1 6.5 9.10 17.13 (115) d Lindisfarne 3.3 5.4 7.4 11.5 (71)
Goals—New Norfolk: B. Carver 5, B. Booth 4, M. Thompson 2, M. Horne, J. Clifford, T. Triffett, N. Lester, J. Murray, M. Smith; BEST — New Norfolk: L. Horne, B. Carver, J. Murray, B. Chaplin, B. Booth, L. Joseph.

Reserves
New Norfolk 16.12 (108) d Lindisfarne 11.11 (77)
Goals—New Norfolk: M. Bearman 5, B. Chaplin 4, C. Ransley 2, B. Hall, A. Minchin, D. Triffett, T. Jarvis, B. Lovell; New Norfolk: L. Browning, M. Hay, J. King, B. Lovell, N. Benson, M. Bearman.

Colts
New Norfolk 25.21 (171) d Lindisfarne 1.3 (9)
Goals—New Norfolk: B. Coppleman 6, N. Wakefield 4, S. Triffitt 3, J. Wallner 3, N. Grant 2, J. Walsh 2, J. Bomford, L. Menzie, J. Wallner, R. Tebb, T. Youd; Best—New Norfolk: T. Youd, R. Tebb, J. Young, N. Grant, J. Adams, J. Bomford.

Willow Court security

SECURITY has been upgraded at the Willow Court historic site to protect the property from ongoing vandalism. Derwent Valley Mayor Martyn Evans said funding had been set aside in the new council budget to provide for a comprehensive revamp of security measures including day and night surveillance and the installation of securuity fencing around at-risk buildings.

"It is regrettable that these steps need to be taken but it is unfortunately apparent that there are some elements within our community who care little for heritage properties and therefore we will be ensuring that those people caught within this area will be prosecuted as this type of activity can no longer be tolerated," Mayor Evans said.

Mayor Evans stressed the need to financially cope with future demands on its infrastructure from economic and tourism development continued to provide a challenge for the council.

Council sets budget for 2010-11

DERWENT Valley ratepayers would pay about $40 extra on their rates this year following an increase of four per cent, Mayor Martyn Evans last this week. The council held a special meeting last Monday night to set the rates for the new financial year.


Mayor Evans said the council continued to seek public submissions for consideration in the budget and this year four such requests had been funded. These are:

• The first stage of upgrading an unsealed footpath at Dixon St, New Norfolk
• An allocation towards the investigation and design of a walkway at WesterwayA start on repairs to Glen Dhu Rd
• A start on the sealing, widening and drainage of Tarrants Rd, Granton

The mayor said capital works spending this financial year would be in the order of $2.2 million. He highlighted the following initiatives:

• Upgrading Glenora Road
• Kerb and guttering in Station St, New Norfolk
• A start on roadworks at Golding and Montagu Sts, New Norfolk
• Stormwater improvements at Lachlan Rd and Lower Swamp Rd, Lachlan
• The purchase of a cleaner for graffiti removal

The Council will also be involved in the following community activities:

• Participation in the Drug Education Network (Good Sports) program
  Sponsorship of the Launceston/New Norfolk Cycling Classic
  Participation in the Lower Derwent Flood Warning Upgrade Project

Government to investigate railway insurances

GREENS MHA Tim Morris has welcomed a decision by the State Government to investigate the option of the state-owned Motor Accident Insurance Board (MAIB) taking on public liability insurance for tourism rail operations like the Derwent Valley Railway. Mr Morris said some of the $100,000 allocated to rail tourism in the State Budget must be used to investigate both public liability insurance and main line access, to help boost the industry.

"Tasmania’s tourism rail operators have been hit hard by the unaffordable cost of existing public liability insurance, and the Greens have suggested that the Minister investigate the option of MAIB taking on this insurance requirement by treating passenger trains in the same manner that buses are treated," Mr Morris said. "I am delighted that Minister O’Byrne has undertaken to explore the MAIB option. Such a system would see a train carriage treated in the same manner as a bus."

"Currently Lloyds of London is the only insurer at present, and that organisation does not understand, or show much interest in, the particular Tasmanian situation or impact on our tourism rail operations," Mr Morris said. "The Greens understand that the MAIB option should be relatively simple to expand to cover passenger rail, which would be a green light for organisations including the Don River Rail, and the Derwent Valley Rail Society."