Wednesday, 19 February 2025

Suburban Rail Loop

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:21): My question is to the Premier. The government proposes to raise $11.5 billion through a value capture tax on 70,000 homes around the SRL East. That equates to $164,000 in additional tax per home. How does another tax make new housing more affordable?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:21): Can I be clear for the benefit of the Leader of the Opposition that the premise that he has put in his question is absolutely wrong. He is not correct. Indeed this was something that the government made clear when we released the business and investment case for the Suburban Rail Loop in August 2021. We have been clear since August 2021 that the value capture mechanisms that we announced would be part of the funding mix for the Suburban Rail Loop as far back as August 2018 – we made it absolutely clear from 2021 onwards that these measures would not be targeted at home owners. I hope that clarifies for the benefit of the Leader of the Opposition, and I hope that also means that he will now put away his little scare campaign, which I am sure he is very much excited to run, as it is all about his ongoing opposition to building more homes next to train stations in the suburbs, exactly in the right location.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is required to be factual in her answers. This is about a value capture tax on homes and seeking that homes be less affordable under this Labor government.

Mary-Anne Thomas: Speaker, there is no point of order. The Premier was being entirely relevant to the question. The fact that the members on the other side of the house do not understand a basic concept like value capture is not one that we can resolve for them. But the Premier was being entirely relevant to the question.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: Those opposite can continue with their opposition to this much-needed project, a project that is building a train line to Monash University, a train line to Deakin University, Burwood, a train line that will connect communities right across the state and also give us that opportunity, like we are doing in those activity centres that the member for Brighton loves so much. We are building more homes right next to train stations, in exactly the right locations, because I want more Victorians to have the opportunity that so many of the rest of us have had of buying and getting into a home, starting a family and having access to great transport connections.

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:24): The federal government will not provide a single cent more towards SRL until problems with value capture are resolved, with federal infrastructure minister Catherine King stating there are still some hurdles, particularly around value capture. What are the hurdles leaving a $9 billion budget black hole?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:25): This is one of the very few times in my time in this place in the last 10 years when I have had the opportunity to stand up and talk about a federal government investing in projects in Victoria. It is one of the very few times I have had that opportunity, because in the federal Labor government we have a partner in the Suburban Rail Loop, like we do in the airport project, like we do in the North East Link project as well. We have a partner in the federal government in this project.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, the fact of the matter is that the SRL project is not funded. On relevance, the question was about what the hurdles are, creating a $9 billion budget black hole.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Speaker, this is an abuse of the point of order process. The Manager of Opposition Business well knows that making a point of order is not an opportunity to restate the question. We have had simply enough of this tedious repetition from the Manager of Opposition Business.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: I absolutely reject the approach of those opposite, who, when Peter Dutton was at the cabinet table, went silent on making sure Victoria got our fair share. I will not. I will continue to advocate for a fair share for Victorian infrastructure projects. I quote the federal minister, who calls the Suburban Rail Loop ‘a good project’ and an ‘important project for the city.’ It is a big project that she is a supporter of and the federal Labor government is a supporter of, and so are Victorians.