Tuesday, 8 February 2022

Ministers statements: Victoria’s Big Build

Ms ALLAN (Bendigo East—Leader of the House, Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop) (14:33): I am very pleased to rise to update the house on the massive summer of progress on projects right across the state, big and small, as part of the Andrews Labor government’s Big Build program. There were thousands of workers working hard over this summer period, and I want to thank them. I want to thank those who worked so hard while so many others were enjoying a bit of a break because they kept our construction program going—and they have kept it going through a pandemic, keeping their worksites safe and keeping these worksites moving. Delivering major projects delivers better transport connections. It also delivers jobs. It employs thousands in the construction industry and thousands more across small businesses who are part of our really important supply chain because we prioritise local jobs on our projects.

I also want to thank Victorians for their patience. Some of these projects did involve some considerable disruption in different parts of the state; for example, the adding of extra lanes on the Monash Freeway between EastLink and Warrigal Road—work continued on that project. On Fitzsimons Lane in Eltham work continued. And of course the Cranbourne line duplication powered ahead as well with that important duplication work. Victorians who travelled into regional Victoria, or those of us who have the pleasure of living in regional Victoria, would have noticed that our Big Build was particularly big in the regions this summer. Work powered ahead on the Echuca–Moama bridge project, on the Princes Highway east in Gippsland between Traralgon and Sale and on Barwon Heads Road and on the Great Ocean Road upgrade as well. Plus there were works completed on the Waurn Ponds station, and I was particularly proud to open the brand new Goornong station as part of our Bendigo metro 3 program.

While this work was underway we did get calls from some to wind back our major projects. We received calls to cancel the Sunbury Road project and the Narre Warren North Road project, and there were the usual calls to cancel level crossings. They came from the Victorian Liberals, who want to see this Big Build wound right back.