House debates
Wednesday, 26 June 2024
Questions without Notice
Goldstein Electorate: Suburban Rail Loop
3:16 pm
Zoe Daniel (Goldstein, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
There's concern in Goldstein about the state government's Suburban Rail Loop project. With plans for many high-rise apartments, residents fear traffic chaos and overwhelmed education and health services. And there is the possibility the SRL will never be completed because the Victorian government can't pay for it. It's been reported that it could blow the Commonwealth's infrastructure budget, especially if the federal government has to rescue a partly built project. What information has the minister received from her department, and will any information or advice received be made public?
Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Thanks very much to the member for that question. The Suburban Rail Loop is a once-in-a-generation infrastructure project that will transform the way in which people move about the state of Victoria and will also reshape the way in which Victoria grows, including where people live and the opportunities for people to live around public transport—something that this government is very supportive of.
We have made a capped contribution of $2.2 billion towards the early works of Suburban Rail Loop East and release of that funding is contingent on the program meeting the conditions under the National Land Transport Act, as is any project that the Commonwealth invests funding in, which includes project proposal reports, which we have not received from the Victorian government yet.
As I have made very clear on a number of occasions, no decisions have been made about further funding, and before any further requests for funding are agreed to, Victoria will need to work with Infrastructure Australia so that it can provide advice on this project.
In relation to planning issues, this is primarily a matter for the Victorian government. But we know that, in order to address housing affordability, we need a steady supply of new houses in the right places, supported by the right infrastructure. That does mean, as I say, building housing around really important public transport links.
Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The minister will pause. The member for Wannon on a point of order.
Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
On relevance, the minister was asked about the cost and whether the Victorian state government could afford it. I would like to request that—
Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Resume your seat. She wasn't asked about that. The question contained what information the minister will receive. That is an abuse of the point of order. You simply can't get up and add something into the question. The minister is being directly relevant. She's talking about the cost. What you said is not accurate.
Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Throw him out!
Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The member for Lyons. The member for Wannon continuously raises points of order that are not within the standing orders. The member for Goldstein on a point of order.
Zoe Daniel (Goldstein, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
On relevance, thank you to the member for Wannon, but the redirection to the question was: what information has the minister received from her department, and will that information be made public?
Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The minister is being directly relevant and the minister has completed her answer.