#Roads & Transport
Target:
Tasmanian Government
Region:
Australia

Fortescue Bay, Tasman National Park.
For many years, this small bay on the South East corner of Tasmania has provided visitors from across the globe with a tranquil, safe and beautiful escape from the rest of the world. Fortescue Bay is a heavily used multiple purpose area within the Tasman National Park, and is now the end point of the award winning, internationally marketed 3 Capes Track, Australia's premier coastal bushwalk.
For years, the 12km gravel access road from the Arthur Highway to Fortescue Bay has required attention, and it is now in dire need of serious upgrades. The ownership of the road has been the ongoing battle that has now stopped all maintenance to this road. Forestry Tasmania own the road but are not using the area for forestry operations at this point in time so refuse to maintain the road, however visitors use the road for access to the Tasman National Park. Despite common misconception, it is not the responsibility of the Parks and Wildlife Service to maintain this road.
At the end of the day, funding has to come from government, and the condition and safety of the road has well and truly reached critical. At this point in time, we know of no scheduled improvements, therefore we will lodge a written request with this public support petition to the relevant members of parliament to ensure they have the information they require to assess and plan any possible repair and upgrade work.
It is not only damaging to all vehicles that use this road, but is also a hazard for all road users. This road has the potential to cause serious injury, even fatalities if repairs aren't carried out. To avoid certain bad sections of this road and almost certain vehicle damage from deep ruts and potholes, drivers must cross to the opposite side, risking head on collisions with oncoming vehicles. Among the ruts and potholes, loose edges, large sharp protruding rock from the base of the road, loose aggregate and dangerous trees add to the list of hazards.
The state of the road is causing visitors to cancel their Fortescue Bay experience, along with thousands of dollars in vehicle damages each month for those that decide to tackle the road and drive in.
As a popular destination for visitors both local and international, and as users of this area for multiple purposes including but not limited to camping, bushwalking, diving, boating, fishing, and general sightseeing, we have started this petition to lobby government and request that something be done about the condition of this road. Bringing these issues to the attention of State Government will be the first step towards working with them to address and resolve the issues at hand. Whilst National Park entry fees, walking track fees and taxes apply, we should have suitable access roads to access these areas, regardless of who owns the access road.
Please be advised that I do not represent the Tasmanian government or any of its departments mentioned above. The views and opinions expressed throughout this spiel may differ from the above government departments views and opinions. The intention of this petition is to raise concerns and produce an informative request with public support to government representatives so that we can work together to achieve a common goal. Please keep any comments fair, clean and informative to ensure our voice is loud, and the outcome favorable.
Thanks in advance for your support.

We, the undersigned, as a matter of urgency, call on the Tasmanian Government to upgrade Fortescue Rd, the access road from Arthur Highway to Fortescue Bay, Tasman National Park.

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The Fortescue Bay Road - urgent upgrade required. petition to Tasmanian Government was written by The People and is in the category Roads & Transport at GoPetition.