Tuesday, 16 August 2022

Ministers statements: Suburban Rail Loop

Ms ALLAN (Bendigo East—Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Commonwealth Games Delivery) (14:19): I am delighted to update the house on the terrific progress that is being made on the delivery of the Suburban Rail Loop. Last week I was delighted to join the member for Clarinda at the Monash Children’s Hospital to announce that the independent environment effects statement process had given the Suburban Rail Loop east the green light to go ahead. This is a very significant milestone for this project—a project Victorians voted for, a project that will transform the way people move around our city and state, making it faster and easier for people to get to where they want to go for jobs and vital services. And there is almost no better example of this than the Monash Children’s Hospital. Now, we have already removed the level crossing on Clayton Road as part of our level crossing removal program, meaning people wanting to get urgent care at the hospital are not stuck on the wrong side of the boom gates. And now we are getting on with delivering the Suburban Rail Loop, making it easier for Victorians to access world-class health care at Monash hospital and also for those who work at Monash hospital to be able to get more easily to the hospital for work.

Speaking of jobs, the construction of the Suburban Rail Loop will support 8000 jobs, and works are already underway. Also beyond our hospitals, it is going to connect to universities—Monash and Deakin—and Box Hill TAFE, slashing travel times to these precincts. I know that many members along the corridor are supportive: members for Box Hill, Burwood, Oakleigh and Clarinda. However, there are some who are not so supportive. Others have backed in some commitments to scrap the Suburban Rail Loop—just last week the member for Sandringham said it was:

… infrastructure that the community didn’t ask for.

Those Victorians who voted for this project most certainly did ask for the Suburban Rail Loop, and only the Andrews Labor government will deliver the Suburban Rail Loop.