Residents in Tasmania have criticised Kingborough Council after $52,500 of taxpayer money was spent on blue wave-patterned road markings intended to improve pedestrian safety, arguing the scheme was a waste of public funds. The markings, installed along Beach Road in Kingston Beach, near Hobart, were meant to draw drivers' attention to crossings and intersections, but critics, including council candidate Will Perry, say they have made little difference to safety and that the money would have been better spent on proven measures such as speed signage or improved crossings.

The blue markings, made using a recycled-glass high-friction surface called OmniGrip, were installed in December using federal funding and placed near sites including a wombat crossing, kerb extensions and an early learning centre. Locals reported near misses involving children and vehicles losing wing mirrors, while some suggested speed bumps would be more effective. Kingborough Council has defended the scheme, citing research from Monash University's Accident Research Centre suggesting such visual treatments can encourage drivers to slow down, and noting the markings had proved effective elsewhere in Australia and were supported by residents before installation.