Portfolio — 13 June 2026
Assistant Minister Rebecca White announced the opening of a new heavy-vehicle driver rest area on the Bass Highway near Westbury, marking the first of two planned facilities targeting freight safety on one of Tasmania's primary freight corridors. The project is jointly funded under the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program, with the Australian Government contributing over $9.6 million of the more than $12 million total cost [TA-260612-infras-d31aaf4816c6:m224102].
The facility provides seating, lighting and toilet infrastructure for Launceston-bound operators — basic amenities directly aimed at reducing driver fatigue on a route carrying significant commercial freight volumes.
The announcement does not mark the end of the program's commitment to this corridor. Construction tenders for a second rest area serving Devonport-bound traffic were advertised in late May 2026 and close on 24 June 2026, with the government framing both sites as necessary to meet current and future freight demand [TA-260612-infras-d31aaf4816c6:m224102]. The two-direction design signals that the investment is structured around the full freight task on the Bass Highway, not a single pinch point.
The announcement drew statements from both federal and state counterparts. Federal Minister for Regional Development Kristy McBain linked the project to a broader commitment to heavy-vehicle operator safety, while Tasmanian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Kerry Vincent framed the facility as evidence of the state's commitment to mandatory rest breaks for heavy-vehicle drivers.
That alignment across three ministers — White, McBain, and Vincent — reflects the joint-funding structure and reinforces the safety-infrastructure framing as the consistent public message across jurisdictions.
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