Damian Drum (Nicholls, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will add my voice to a growing band of stakeholders that are really concerned about the Labor government in Victoria. The Labor government is attempting to walk away from the Melbourne airport rail-link tunnel. When former Prime Minister Turnbull and Premier Andrews agreed on a Melbourne airport rail link in 2018, it was widely understood that the link would involve its own designated tunnel to Sunshine. As it has turned out, only one of the four options that were looked at can have a tunnel with a designated opportunity for the prospect of fast-rail commuter trains running all the way out through the congested suburban services.

Subsequent analysis published in the Stronger, Together fast regional rail strategy 2019 shows that a tunnel can host required airport services plus high service levels of fast high-capacity electrified trains to Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Shepparton plus other places that could accommodate interstate fast services into the future. But since August 2018 the Premier has lost control of the state budget with the West Gate Tunnel project, the Melbourne metro, the North East Link, outer suburban metro rail loop all costing billions and billions over and above what it was originally planned for. They are trying hard to convince the federal government to walk away from the only design that can actually transform regional rail services and it is my job to make sure that the Victorian government doesn't walk away from that project.