Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and the Deputy Prime Minister. Minister, my question is on the $235 million Victorian north-east railway line project. In February the then minister told this House that the scope of works would be released for community consultation in about the middle of the year. It's now the middle of the year. My community is asking: when will the scope of works be released for community consultation? Who is responsible for developing and implementing the community strategy? Will you please, as minister, Deputy Prime Minister and a representative of the National Party, provide us the leadership we need to deliver on this multimillion dollar commitment.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Indi for her question. It is the middle of the year—another year of delivery and achievement by the Liberals and the Nationals. I thank the member for her passionate advocacy for north-east rail. I also thank the member for Murray for similar advocacy. After detailed consultation with the community and the Victorian government, on 16 March this year the federal Liberal and Nationals government, to which she referred, committed a further $135 million to upgrading the north-east rail line to improve passenger services, bringing our total commitment to $235 million for this particular line. This is part of our $1.6 billion investment and commitment to the Victorian Regional Rail Revival, which is upgrading every passenger line in Victoria—

Mr Rob Mitchell interjecting—

including in the seat of the member for McEwen, who is very noisy. This additional funding for the north-east rail line was committed to upgrade the NERL to a Victorian class 2 performance standard. This will allow for faster, more-modern trains and give communities along the north-east rail line the services that they expect and that they deserve. The Australian Rail Track Corporation is working with the Monash University Institute of Railway Technology to ensure that the upgrades deliver what her community expects.

Consultation with the community has begun. Key groups, including the Hume Corridor Passenger Rail Collaboration Group and the Border Rail Action Group, have already been consulted. The community will have the opportunity to understand what will be delivered and when. This will also help minimise disruption. Detailed consultation on the delivery of the upgrades, including the scope of works, Member for Indi, will be undertaken by the ARTC in consultation with Victorian rail agencies in the coming months. Ultimately it is the ARTC that is responsible for delivering these works. I know that, under the new chairman, Warren Truss, they will be delivered. Whilst the business case will need to be reviewed by Infrastructure Australia, I expect upgrades to be underway by early next year and delivered by 2021.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Prime Minister will pause for a second. Ministers up the other end with the signs can get rid of them—or I'll get rid of you. The Deputy Prime Minister has the call.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The ARTC is already delivering improvements to the line to improve the ride for commuters. This is yet another investment to help people get home sooner and safer. Ultimately it will be upgrades to rolling stock, which is the responsibility of the Victorian government—to which they are committed—that will deliver the services that the people of Seymour, Euroa, Violet Town, Benalla, Wangaratta and Wodonga deserve.

Of course this is a key passenger trunk route as well as a corridor of commerce. It's a key part of the inland freight rail from Melbourne to Brisbane, which will bring more than $7 billion of economic development and prosperity to Victoria and more than 16,000 jobs in the construction phase alone. Our $9.3 billion commitment to the Inland Rail is delivering that nation-building infrastructure that I know the member for Indi's people will benefit from, as will the entire nation. (Time expired)