Thursday, 20 September 2018

 Ms ALLAN (Bendigo East—Leader of the House, Minister for Major Projects, Minister for Public Transport) (11:30): There was a period of time between 2010 and 2014 when not a single major public transport project was started and we saw every single public transport commitment that was given was indeed broken. Contrast that with the last four years under the Andrews Labor government: the contrast could not be more stark. There is more than $30 billion of investment being spent on getting rid of 29 dangerous and congested level crossings and delivering the Metro Tunnel ahead of schedule, which means we can run more trains more often across the city. There is a train line to Mernda with three new stations along the line, and we have duplicated part of the Hurstbridge line as part of our stage 1 project. Every single regional passenger line is also being upgraded with the $1.75 billion of investment. There are 65 new high-capacity trains on order. There are 40 new E-class trams and 87 V/Line VLocity carriages, and they are all being built right here in Victoria. There is $200 million that has been allocated for around 500 new and improved bus routes. Ten thousand new train station car parks are being created. And of course this has created tens of thousands of jobs for Victorians right across the state.

We have achieved a lot. We have turned around the investment in public transport, but we know there is so much more to be done: 21 more level crossings to go, the next stage of the Hurstbridge line works, an airport rail link that is going to provide more connections for the suburbs and the regions, high-speed rail to Geelong, the Cranbourne line duplication, 11 000 new train station car parks, and we will get started on the Suburban Rail Loop — the rail loop that the city needs for the future. Victorians know that it is only the Andrews Labor government that delivers what it commits to. We have got more work to do, and we are determined to get that done.