Tuesday, 6 February 2024

Ministers statements: Suburban Rail Loop

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:41): I rise to inform the house on how the Suburban Rail Loop will connect more Victorians to our world-class hospital and healthcare systems. Victorians should not be forced to choose between a world-class healthcare system and a highly effective and efficient public transport system –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Gippsland South can leave the chamber for 90 minutes.

Member for Gippsland South withdrew from chamber.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: and under our government they do not have to. We do not make fake promises to the people of Victoria. We get on and we deliver. We are on the cusp of opening the very real Melbourne Metro. With stations at Arden and Parkville, Melbourne Metro will deliver real patients to the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition will come to order.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: the Women’s and Peter Mac. With Arden’s opening we will have the new campuses of RMH and also of the Women’s, and those new campuses and the construction of the Suburban Rail Loop will deliver 7500 very real construction jobs and around 12,500 more in the supply chain for the project. SRL East – we are getting on and we are delivering that because it is what the people of Victoria voted for twice, and we are committed to getting on with that and delivering 8000 direct jobs.

What that means for our healthcare system is that more Victorians will be able to get to the health care that they need directly by train. And it is not just patients – SRL will make it easier for thousands of our hardworking healthcare workers to get to work. This includes at Box Hill Hospital, Monash Children’s Hospital, the soon-to-be-redeveloped Monash Medical Centre and of course our $577 million state-of-the-art Victorian Heart Hospital. On this side of the house we have built hospitals, and we are delivering the transport solutions to get there. Only an Allan Labor government can be trusted to deliver real nurses, real doctors, real health care for all Victorians.