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By RAELENE MOREY
A FEDERAL Government election promise to be honoured in tomorrow's Budget will make it cheaper to travel across Bass Strait.
Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that the Bass Strait Passenger Equalisation Scheme will be given $34.4 million to increase the standard passenger vehicle subsidy from $168 to $180.
The revised rebate, effective from July 1, will reduce the cost of taking a car to Melbourne from $72 to about $60 and will be indexed with the cost of living.
A 20 per cent rebate increase will also apply to motorhomes, buses, motorcycles, vehicles towing caravans and bicycles.
Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Daniel Hanna welcomed the announcement and said it would encourage travel on the Bass Strait ferries, which compete with the discount airlines.
"We know that people who travel by sea tend to stay a lot longer and visit our regional areas," Mr Hanna said.
Mr Albanese also announced the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme would receive $2.8 million over four years to cover intrastate sea freight shipped between Flinders and King islands and the mainland.
Last week Bass Labor MHR Jodie Campbell said she had received guarantees from Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan that more than $300 million of election promises made to Bass would be honoured in tomorrow night's Budget announcement.
"Every election commitment that we made in Bass will be honoured, absolutely, and I'm quite strong on that," Ms Campbell said.
Labor's promises include $15 million for the establishment of an integrated care centre in Launceston and up to $7.7 million for a new radiation oncology unit.
More than $140 million in federal funding will go to transport links for Northern Tasmanian industry.
A total of $34 million has been earmarked for North-East freight roads and $4.5 million for the Midland Highway.
The Regional Aquatic Centre has been promised $2 million.
A FEDERAL Government election promise to be honoured in tomorrow's Budget will make it cheaper to travel across Bass Strait.
Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that the Bass Strait Passenger Equalisation Scheme will be given $34.4 million to increase the standard passenger vehicle subsidy from $168 to $180.
The revised rebate, effective from July 1, will reduce the cost of taking a car to Melbourne from $72 to about $60 and will be indexed with the cost of living.
A 20 per cent rebate increase will also apply to motorhomes, buses, motorcycles, vehicles towing caravans and bicycles.
Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Daniel Hanna welcomed the announcement and said it would encourage travel on the Bass Strait ferries, which compete with the discount airlines.
"We know that people who travel by sea tend to stay a lot longer and visit our regional areas," Mr Hanna said.
Mr Albanese also announced the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme would receive $2.8 million over four years to cover intrastate sea freight shipped between Flinders and King islands and the mainland.
Last week Bass Labor MHR Jodie Campbell said she had received guarantees from Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan that more than $300 million of election promises made to Bass would be honoured in tomorrow night's Budget announcement.
"Every election commitment that we made in Bass will be honoured, absolutely, and I'm quite strong on that," Ms Campbell said.
Labor's promises include $15 million for the establishment of an integrated care centre in Launceston and up to $7.7 million for a new radiation oncology unit.
More than $140 million in federal funding will go to transport links for Northern Tasmanian industry.
A total of $34 million has been earmarked for North-East freight roads and $4.5 million for the Midland Highway.
The Regional Aquatic Centre has been promised $2 million.
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