Huon Valley Transport Forum

Circular Economy Huon (CEH) has been working on public and community transport issues in the Huon Valley for many years. We have run workshops and community meetings, spoken with transport experts, and made submissions to government inquiries. We also share background information and research on this website so local residents can better understand the issues and options.

But the challenge is growing — and it affects all of us.

For many people in the Huon, getting around is becoming harder. Fuel prices continue to rise. Cars are expensive to buy and maintain. If you don’t have access to a vehicle, your choices are limited. Like most rural areas, we rely heavily on private cars and roads.

At the same time, the cost of building and maintaining roads across steep and forested terrain keeps increasing. That cost is ultimately carried by the whole community. 

The Bigger Picture

Transport is also a major part of the climate challenge. Around one fifth of Tasmania’s greenhouse gas emissions come from transport. That means meaningful change in how we move can make a meaningful difference.

The good news is that proven alternatives already exist. In other regional areas we are seeing:

• Electric buses

• Low-emission ferries

• Community transport services

• Better walking and cycling connections

• Integrated bus and on-demand services

With thoughtful planning and coordination, similar approaches could work here.

The Huon River – Barrier or Opportunity?

The Huon River illustrates both the problem and the opportunity.

Today it can feel like a barrier, because our transport system is built almost entirely around roads and bridges. But historically, waterways were central to moving people and goods. As road networks expanded, transport shifted almost completely to private vehicles — and that is the system we are now dependent on.

If we begin to see the Huon River and the D’Entrecasteaux Channel as potential transport corridors again, new possibilities emerge. Combined with modern low-emission technology, new rapid foiling watercraft designs and better integration between buses, ferries, active transport and community transport, waterways could:

• Reduce emissions

• Improve access for smaller and more isolated communities

• Ease pressure on an expensive road network

• Utilise existing transport corridors which do not need building

• Offer strategic alternatives to road transport during emergencies: fire, flood, etc

For more information on ferry transport as a public transport option, click here

What Needs to Change

We now understand the drivers of climate change and the structural limits of a car-dependent system. We also know there are practical alternatives.

What is needed is:

• Better long-term planning

• Better coordination between services

• Better integration across different modes of transport

• Community input into future decisions

Join the Huon Valley Transport Forum