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.<\/p>\n
\u201cMelbourne\u2013Geelong rail capacity enhancement\u201d is listed in the fourth of four categories, and is slated to be carried out over the longer term (10-15 years).<\/p>\n
The project has been on the IPL since March 2018. Geelong\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Ahead of the state election, Labor pledged to commit its share of the $736 million needed for the project if it retained power.<\/p>\n
However, the duplication is not included anywhere in the IPL, an omission noted by Premier Daniel Andrews when he visited Geelong last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Waurn Ponds project \u2013 nothing. It doesn\u2019t rate a mention. Apparently that\u2019s not significant enough,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a fast-growing city it is one of the great regional cities \u2013 not just in Victoria but of our nation \u2013 and the duplication out to those new housing estates, the growth that\u2019s going on just beyond there\u2026 how that\u2019s not significant to Infrastructure Australia is beyond me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s certainly significant to us, and that\u2019s why we\u2019ve provided our share of the funding and we\u2019ll push on and do all that we can to get that built. If we had a federal partner it would be a little easier.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman said upgrading the whole Geelong line was \u201cthe only solution to support our growing suburbs and region\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s time for the federal government to put the money on the table so we can get on with the job.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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. \u201cMelbourne\u2013Geelong rail capacity enhancement\u201d is listed in the fourth of four categories, and […]<\/p>\n