Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to congratulate the Altona Miniature Railway for receiving departmental approval for a Stronger Communities grant yesterday. The Altona Miniature Railway is a hobby club run by members that provides miniature train rides on scaled steam and diesel engines over a 1.5 kilometre length track in Altona in my electorate.

I note this in the parliament today because it is truly an extraordinary achievement. The Altona Miniature Railway has, in one $12,000 grant, secured more Commonwealth funding for an urban rail project than was invested in urban rail infrastructure across the nation under the Abbott government. Victorian commuters are currently paying the price of Tony Abbott's ideologically-driven decision to cut the $3 billion of funding allocated by the previous Labor government for the Melbourne Metro Rail tunnel project. But, instead of making up for lost time, all Malcolm Turnbull has done is say one thing and do another on urban public transport. On coming to power, the Prime Minister indicated that he might allocate funding to it, but only as an investment that would have to make a return for the government, not as a grant. Now, in the budget handed down last night, the Prime Minister is saying that the government will allocate $958 million for this $11 billion project, but they want it spent on an additional $1 billion South Yarra station that the Victorian government analysis says will return only 30c in the dollar for the public. Instead of putting people first, the Prime Minister is putting commercial investment in Melbourne's east first. Victorians deserve better. They deserve a government that will put the interests of our growth corridors and our outer communities first. Labor will deliver that. (Time expired)

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