Wednesday, 14 May 2025

Suburban Rail Loop

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (18:17): (1623) My adjournment matter is directed to the Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop. Recently Bayside council bravely passed a resolution calling on the Premier to immediately stop the Suburban Rail Loop due to the government’s lack of transparency and the absence of financial and planning justification. Cr Leigh likened the actions of the Premier to that of a dictator, stating:

We have no say in it, they have taken control of everything and it’s an order by decree.

The precinct structure plan forecasts an increase of 11,400 residents in Cheltenham by 2041 because of the densification that will occur around the planned new station if the Suburban Rail Loop Authority has its way. The proposed 18-storey high-rises are simply not in keeping with the community’s character, and council simply does not have the capacity to cater for such an influx of people, as it would place a major burden on other existing infrastructure. Ratepayers also cannot be expected to pick up the bill for the government’s extra required infrastructure around these precincts.

Further, it is still unclear how this government will fund the project. In late March this year Infrastructure Australia released a report noting that:

Based on the information provided, we have low confidence in the cost estimate for SRL East, presenting a major risk to the SRL East project, and the SRL Program as a whole.

The Suburban Rail Loop will run up our debt even further, incurring larger interest payments that will be paid for by hardworking Victorians. Out-of-control government expenditure also exacerbates inflation issues. The Suburban Rail Loop will be the choice between higher and larger taxes, or the diversion of our scarce taxpayer resources away from local road and rail upgrades and other vital health and safety needs, in favour of this Premier’s vanity project. So the action I seek is that the minister join me in meeting with Bayside council to hear their objections and heed the opposition’s call to immediately suspend work on this project.