INFRASTRUCTURE Australia (IA) has slated better rail connections between Geelong and Melbourne are a priority, and should be finished within 15 years.<\/p>\n
Last week, the independent infrastructure advisor announced it had identified more than $55 billion worth of nation-shaping projects in its latest Infrastructure Priority List.<\/p>\n
This list includes \u201cMelbourne-Geelong rail capacity enhancement\u201d, identified by IA as a long-term initiative without a business case that should be completed within 10-15 years.<\/p>\n
Based on the Australian Infrastructure Audit and more than 500 submissions from governments, stakeholder groups and the community, the Infrastructure Priority List is the authoritative list of nationally-significant infrastructure investments Australia needs out to 2033.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the 10 years since Infrastructure Australia was formed, the Priority List has helped establish a longer-term view of our collective needs as a nation \u2014 one that enables our leaders to look beyond elections and budgetary cycles and make evidence-based investment decisions,\u201d IA chair Julieanne Alroe said.<\/p>\n
Liberal Corangamite federal member Sarah Henderson said IA putting Geelong-Melbourne rail on its priority list highlighted the \u201cineptness\u201d of the state Labor government.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf the $224 million being delivered for the South Geelong duplication project and the Warrnambool line upgrade under the Regional Rail Revival package, $204 million is being provided by the Turnbull government and only $20 million by the state. This is utterly untenable and Daniel Andrews should hang his head in shame.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur train service, which should be first class, is slow, over-crowded and unreliable.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Regional Rail Revival Package is providing $1.57 million to upgrade regional rail lines throughout Victoria. Of this money, $1.42 billion is being provided by the Commonwealth and only $150 million by the state which is not good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said it was also disappointing that a business case for the project would take two years.<\/p>\n
However, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development Anthony Albanese said the federal Coalition must respond to IA’s list with extra money in the coming budget.<\/p>\n
\u201cTraffic congestion in cities is eroding our quality of life and cost the economy $16.5 billion in lost productivity in 2015 alone, according to the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the Turnbull Government is cutting infrastructure investment, with this financial year\u2019s $8 billion in grants to states set to fall steadily over the next four years to $4.2 billion in 2020-21.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
INFRASTRUCTURE Australia (IA) has slated better rail connections between Geelong and Melbourne are a priority, and should be finished within 15 years. Last week, the independent infrastructure advisor announced it had identified more than $55 billion worth of nation-shaping projects in its latest Infrastructure Priority List. This list includes \u201cMelbourne-Geelong rail capacity enhancement\u201d, identified by […]<\/p>\n