Tuesday, 14 October 2025

 Tim RICHARDSON (Mordialloc) (22:05): (1331) My adjournment this evening is to the Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, and the action I seek is for the minister to detail the anticipated travel time, savings and opportunities of this visionary project and how this will deliver support for my constituents in the Mordialloc district. It comes at a really important time, the Suburban Rail Loop, because remember that time a decade ago when those opposite described the Metro rail tunnel as a hoax, a project that would divide the city like the Berlin Wall. There were some ridiculous statements around a visionary infrastructure project for our state and our future. But then again it was that same crew over there that put stickers on the ground at Southern Cross station directing people to the airport. Remember that? We had a conga line of tourists coming to Southern Cross station when then Premier Napthine for the Liberals put that forward as their major infrastructure policy. We have had nearly 400 ‍major infrastructure programs, policies and developments in Victoria. Those opposite had eight programs – that is it, eight – and one of them was a sticker replacement policy when they had to buff it all off over at Southern Cross.

The Suburban Rail Loop is that visionary policy, a Metro Tunnel for the suburbs. It will connect education precincts. It will create thousands of jobs. It will build the houses and support the houses for the future, and rather than constituents in my area being priced out based on housing, City of Kingston residents and their kids will be priced in. They will have options around education, transport, employment. It will create such vibrant communities into the future. The Metro Tunnel being opened up in early December is just a proof of the projects that you start on behalf of constituents and then you might not get to open but you plan for the vision of tomorrow.

Those opposite used to have that. Remember under the Bolte government – a few might remember on that side – when they took debt to gross state product up over the 60 per cent range? You do not hear some of the Bolte legacy through here of where they put debt to GSP. It was up in the 60 per cent range at that time. When we see state debt ratio at the moment at 24.9 per cent over the forward estimates, we know that we have to create that visionary generational investment that will support communities in Victoria in the future. That is what the Metro Tunnel is all about, and that is what the Suburban Rail Loop is all about. Those opposite, including the newly minted Shadow Treasurer, have had 50,000 different policy ideas on this, including the member for Bulleen and the member for Kew. The member for Kew said today, ‘We’re back to shelving it.’ The member for Bulleen said, ‘If it gets through the gates enough, we’ll have to deliver it.’ They are back to shelving it, pausing it, reviewing it, doing nothing on it, just like those opposite did on Metro Tunnel. It is Labor governments that deliver projects for the future. It is Labor governments that create jobs and the economic activity that drives our state, and this is what the Suburban Rail Loop will do.