Whose job is roads?

Councils fund, build and manage most of the sealed and unsealed roads in Tasmania.

There about 14,300 km of council roads in Tasmania.  There are about 3,275km of State Government roads which include the major highways.

Councils take care of road signage on all council roads.  The State and councils work together on council road markings, speed limits and traffic lights.

Who pays for roads?

State roads may be part funded from some State fees and taxes, but most of the funds for State roads tend to ultimately come from the Commonwealth Government, from income tax.  Council roads are predominantly funded from rates.

With careful financial planning and engineering work, councils have invested a huge sum in roads for Tasmanian communities.  Today council roads in Tasmania are worth around $325 billion.  Sometimes the Commonwealth helps councils maintain some roads by giving a grant - but grant help isn't something councils or communities can rely on to keep their roads working day to day.