Andrews says rail duplication should be on priority list

THE latest list of must-do projects from Infrastructure Australia (IA) includes a better rail connection between Geelong and Melbourne, but the state government has criticised the absence of the Geelong-Waurn Ponds duplication. IA released its updated Infrastructure Priority List (IPL) last week.

“Melbourne–Geelong rail capacity enhancement” is listed in the fourth of four categories, and is slated to be carried out over the longer term (10-15 years).

The project has been on the IPL since March 2018. Geelong’s state and federal representatives have also spent considerable amounts of time talking up the need to duplicate 13 kilometres of railway line between the South Geelong and Waurn Ponds stations.

Ahead of the state election, Labor pledged to commit its share of the $736 million needed for the project if it retained power.

However, the duplication is not included anywhere in the IPL, an omission noted by Premier Daniel Andrews when he visited Geelong last week.

“The Waurn Ponds project – nothing. It doesn’t rate a mention. Apparently that’s not significant enough,” he said.

“This is a fast-growing city it is one of the great regional cities – not just in Victoria but of our nation – and the duplication out to those new housing estates, the growth that’s going on just beyond there… how that’s not significant to Infrastructure Australia is beyond me.

“It’s certainly significant to us, and that’s why we’ve provided our share of the funding and we’ll push on and do all that we can to get that built. If we had a federal partner it would be a little easier.

“As long as they continue to take this wrongheaded, Sydney-centric view, I think that Geelong, regional Victoria, indeed all of Victoria will be short-changed.”

South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman said upgrading the whole Geelong line was “the only solution to support our growing suburbs and region”.

“It’s time for the federal government to put the money on the table so we can get on with the job.”