Andrew Broad (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to talk about a major infrastructure project that will be very important for driving opportunities for the people of Victoria. The Andrews state government have committed to the Murray Basin Rail Project. It is a $460 million project but they have committed only $220 million of their funds, even though they have $400 million in the bank from the sale of rural finance as well as $60 million that the federal government will give them as part of the investment dividend.

Of course the project has a lot of merit. They are asking the federal government to contribute, and I also believe that the federal government should contribute—but only to enhance the project. We do need to enhance the project to bring the Mildura line railway line up to 23-tonne axle loads. The purpose, if we can do it, is not only that it would provide the opportunity to one day put passenger rail on that line but also that the turnaround times on the trains would be faster. The role of the federal government in nation building is very significant in this project. Upgrading the Mildura railway line to 23 tonnes as part of the Murray Basin Rail Project would lead the way in building the transcontinental rail link, a link between Mildura and up through Menindee to catch up with the east-west rail link. This would be the completion of standardised rail between every state in Australia. It means that we could address the supply constraints in the rail project and the rail freight supply constraints between Adelaide and Melbourne, where we are going to hit capacity by 2025. I think it is very worthwhile.

So I just want to update the parliament that I very much support the Murray Basin Rail Project. I am very keen to see the state Andrews government deliver $416.2 million of the project, not the $220 million that they currently have allocated. I also think there is quite a legitimate case for the federal government to contribute, perhaps to the tune of a further $100 million to build the Mildura line for 23-tonne axle loads. The core reasons are that it drives faster turnaround times of trains to get our product out to the market, it addresses constraints in the freight capacity for rail between Adelaide and Melbourne, and it also helps us potentially put passenger trains onto that route in the future, which will be a state government responsibility. But it also is very important so that we can drive the great dream of having a standardised railway line in every state in Australia, something that we should have done at Federation but that has taken well over 100 years to bring to fruition. So an additional $100 million out of the federal government would be good. Let's try to make it happen.