Last year's COVID lockdown provided a welcome respite from traffic congestion for Blackman's Bay resident Kali Bean.

But as restrictions eased and traffic congestion returned to pre-COVID levels in Tasmanian cities, she once again faced a slow daily commute to drop her kids off at school and get to work in the Hobart CBD.

"It's very frustrating, we have to leave home at a very particular time," Ms Bean said.

"If we're three to five minutes late, we're held up in traffic and it's very, very slow and so we do lots of singing and games and keep the kids happy."

In early 2020, harsh COVID restrictions slashed the number of cars on major routes into Tasmanian CBDs.

According to the Department of State Growth, in April 2020 traffic volumes in Hobart fell by 40 per cent on the Brooker Highway, by 48 per cent on the Southern Outlet and by 50 per cent on the Tasman Bridge.

Traffic volumes halved on the Midland Highway in Launceston and the Bass Highway in Devonport, and dropped by 60 per cent on the Bass Highway in Burnie.

But congestion had bounced back to pre-COVID levels by the end of August 2020.

Planning experts warn the building boom that doubled dwelling approvals in Tasmania last year will make traffic congestion worse, unless planning laws are changed and public transport improved.

More urban fringe housing equals more cars

University of Tasmania Professor of Human Geography and Planning, Jason Byrne, is alarmed by the mushrooming housing developments in urban fringe areas, where he says residents will have to depend on cars for transport to work and school.

"We will definitely see worsening traffic," he said.

"If you look on the outskirts of Hobart at places like Sorell and the outskirts of Kingston, or Brighton in some of these rapidly growing local government areas, the scale and pace of development is impressive, but also alarming."

Professor Byrne said to prevent ever-growing traffic congestion, and other health and equity problems, better public transport was needed for growth areas.

He also wants planning laws changed so housing development is encouraged in inner and middle suburbs, instead of on urban fringes.

"I'm very concerned at the moment about the amount of growth that we are seeing in Tasmania," he said.

"Planning appears to be an afterthought."

Councils call for updated land use strategies

Kingborough Mayor Dean Winter helped turn the first sod on a new housing development in Kingston on Wednesday.

The development is medium density, and close to shops and services, but with 80 per cent of Kingston residents working in Hobart's CBD, many residents will still face a long, slow, daily commute.

Most new housing developments in the municipality are further away from shops and public transport, and Mr Winter said planning solutions were being impeded by an out-of-date Southern Tasmanian Land Use Strategy.

"What we have is a city that has congestion that is far worse than it should be for a city our size. And that's a result of a lack of focus on strategic planning, over a very long period of time," Mr Winter said.

He and other Greater Hobart mayors want the strategy to be revised as matter of priority, and are also keen to see progress on the new Metropolitan Plan for Hobart.

Transport Minister Michael Ferguson said the government was working with councils to progress the Metropolitan Plan and to update the Southern Land Use Strategy.

"You've got everybody working together so that we can get our planning laws and schemes just right, but importantly as well ensuring that our transport corridors and capacity is better utilised," he said.

Mr Ferguson said the government was also funding road infrastructure improvements around the state and funding more Metro bus services for growth areas.