COVID-19 TRAVEL ALERT FOR VICTORIA

In response to the growing COVID-19 positive cases in Victoria, and the Victorian Government's announcement of a 7-day lockdown starting at midnight tonight, Public Health Tasmania has declared Victoria a high risk area - as of 2pm today.
Any travellers who have spent time in Victoria in the 14 days before their arrival in Tasmania, after 2pm today will not be permitted to travel to Tasmania unless they are approved as an Essential Traveller.  Quarantine and other conditions apply for Essential Travellers.

For Freight and Logistics, the Essential traveller condition remains covered under Category 3:
a. Any person who, in the carriage of his or her duties, is responsible for the provision of transport or freight and logistics into, within and out of Tasmania; and
b. Flight crew and ship crew - for the purpose of delivery of persons, freight or logistics into, within and out of Tasmania.

Process to Apply for Entryas an Essential Traveller

the process to apply for entry to Tasmania from Victoria as an Essential Traveller is using the G2G Pass.
 

Tasmania has adopted a nationally consistent approach that means transport, freight and logistics operators who have evidence of having had a negative COVID-19 test in the seven (7) days prior to their arrival (and have not had a positive test for the disease within that seven (7) day period) do not have to have a test within 24 hours of arrival in Tasmania.

However, Transport, Freight and Logistics workers must have a COVID-19 test within each seven (7) day period that passes their arrival in Tasmania, until 14 days have passed and they have had two tests.

To organise a COVID-19 test, contact the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738.
 

TASMAN HIGHWAY CLOSURE AT ORFORD

The Department of State Growth will close the Tasman Highway at Paradise Gorge, west of Orford, for several weeks, starting 11:55 pm on Friday 28 May 2021, in the interests of public safety.

As part of its work to maintain a safe road network, the Department of State Growth has been proactively monitoring the stability of rocks above the Tasman Highway at Paradise Gorge near Orford.

The Department has received expert advice that, while the road remains safe to travel on today, a detailed survey of the area has identified that there is a need to investigate removal of rock to manage the risk of a rock fall. There is also a risk that severe weather, including heavy rainfall or frost, could result in a rock fall.

Frost is forecast in the area for the early morning of Saturday 29 May 2021, so the road will be closed from 11:55 pm Friday to ensure that everyone is safe, and to enable rock removal to start.

There will also be intermittent closures of up to 10 minutes at a time today Thursday, 27 and Friday 28 May to enable preparation works for the rock removal.

The road closure will impact traffic in both directions, about 1.5 km before you reach Orford when travelling from Hobart. Once closed, the road will not reopen until the rock has been removed, which is expected to take several weeks.

The Department will start works to remove the rock this weekend, starting with site set up and preparation works, including protecting the road from the falling rocks.

The work will be complex and take some time and we acknowledge it will have an impact on the lives of many Tasmanians, but safety must come first.

We will keep the community and key stakeholders informed throughout the works, and let people know once we have a confirmed date to reopen the road.

Traffic to and from the East Coast will need to detour via Lake Leake Road. Detour signage will be installed at key locations.

While Wielangta Road can be used, it is a gravel road and is not suitable for large volumes of traffic. Road users should drive to the conditions. 

Further information and updates on the emergency works will be available on the Transport website www.transport.tas.gov.au/

Heavy vehicle operators who have concerns or questions about available detours should contact hvaccess@stategrowth.tas.gov.au for a conversation about their particular circumstances.
 
Trucks on Wielangta Road are discouraged and Lake Leake Road is encouraged as a better option for this detour.
 
General advice for businesses affected by the closure and who have any questions or would like further information are encouraged to contact Business Tasmania on 1800 440 026 or ask@business.tas.gov.au
 
For the public, they are best to regularly check www.facebook.com/roadsTAS or www.transport.tas.gov.au and to report a hazard on the state road network, or for information about the closure, contact 1300 139 933.

Please contact TTA if you have questions or concerns or issues you would like us to investigate for you in response to the closure of the Tasman Highway.

More info is in the Q&A Information Sheet at the link below.

Tasmanian Roadworks Roundup

You can see a complete list of all roadworks planned over the next two weeks along with road closures on the Roadworks Roundup section of the Transport website here Roadworks Roundup