Tuesday, 6 February 2024


Questions without notice and ministers statements

Ministers statements: Suburban Rail Loop


Ministers statements: Suburban Rail Loop

Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC) (14:13): I rise to update the house on how we are getting on and delivering the Suburban Rail Loop. Today, along with the Premier and the hardworking member for Ashwood, we visited the future SRL station site at Burwood to see works to launch tunnel-boring machines (TBMs) in 2026. To date, crews have completed 118 pilings with 44 to go, and 2024 is shaping up to be the SRL’s biggest year yet. Works are now underway at six station sites between Cheltenham and Box Hill. Already a thousand dedicated and skilled workers, like the ones the Premier referred to in her earlier statement, are building this city-shaping project. By 2026 we will have 4000 workers across the project, scaling up to 8000 at its peak.

Now, I want to be absolutely clear about this. Make no mistake, anyone threatening to board up tunnels halfway through construction is talking about sacking 4000 workers and abandoning better connections to jobs, TAFEs, universities and hospitals. Those looking to cancel this project are on a road to nowhere. They will leave residents in Bentleigh, Clarinda, Oakleigh, Glen Waverley, Ashwood, Box Hill and even Sandringham high and dry.

The fact is this project has been endorsed at two elections, and we have already announced the first tunnelling contract. By 2026 all major contracts will be awarded and TBMs will be in the ground. It is no wonder that even members of the Liberal Party called plans to ditch the SRL insane. This project is powering ahead, and while the Leader of the Opposition might want to live in denial I would be very happy to offer a comprehensive briefing on the project to maybe the member for Gembrook, maybe the member for Sandringham or maybe the member for Kew to make sure they can get briefed on this project for whoever they think is in line when those opposite get their act together and find a real leader.