Wednesday, 28 May 2025

Suburban Rail Loop

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:04): (926) My question is for the Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop. The Suburban Rail Loop early works package is currently going through a pricing reset, with Suburban Rail Loop authorities contracted to factor in items that were unknown and uncertain at the time the contract was awarded. This was expected to be finalised by June 2024. Has it been completed?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:05): Thank you, Mr Mulholland, for your interest in the Suburban Rail Loop and the pricing work that we are doing. We want to make sure that as contracts are awarded and as we proceed with discussions around negotiations, we are delivering not only best value for taxpayers but also a return on the investment that will see delivery of nation-building infrastructure in accordance with the parameters of negotiations. We are continuing to work through contract negotiation processes, and as we do that we will ensure, again, we are moving toward delivery of tunnel-boring machines later this year, tunnel-boring machines being launched next year and trains running across the network in 2035.

Mr Mulholland, one of the challenges that we had with your lack of understanding of the budget from 2019–20 and that $300 million there was that you then went on to talk to shortfalls in delivery of anticipated outputs as far as the allocations that had been delivered for early works. It is good to see, Mr Mulholland, that you have developed some understanding of the way in which the contracts have been developed and are being negotiated and finalised, and we will continue to do that work so that the project remains, as it has to date, on time and on budget.

Evan Mulholland: On a point of order, President, it was a narrow question on the pricing reset and whether it has been completed.

The PRESIDENT: On the point of order, and as I said, it is dangerous for me to paraphrase, but my understanding is you asked the question ‘Has it been completed?’ and the minister said, ‘We are continuing the process,’ which seems to me to mean it has not been completed. But that is why it is dangerous for me to paraphrase. You can call a point of order at the end of question time, and we can review if the answer was there.

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:07): On a supplementary question, President, I will take your interpretation of the minister’s comments that they are continuing that work to say that it has not been completed, and I ask the minister: when will the pricing reset be completed?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:07): Thank you, Mr Mulholland. Again, you did not listen to the answer that I provided to the substantive question. I would have thought after your blunder, where you failed to understand what was delivered –

David Davis: On a point of order, President, the minister is floundering, and she is not able to get out of that by attacking the opposition. That is not required. She is to answer the question, not attack the opposition.

The PRESIDENT: As far as the point of order goes, it is not for the minister to attack the opposition during an answer. I call the minister to the answer.

Harriet SHING: As I was saying, with the refresh that you have undertaken of the 2019–20 budget in understanding what has been allocated, we are pressing ahead with delivering this project. All expenditure will be accounted for in the usual way in the budget, and the value of contracts will be disclosed once awarded. That includes making sure that we continue to work with proponents, continue to work with industry, around delivery of the contract.

Evan Mulholland: I simply asked when the pricing reset would be completed, and the minister has not come near that answer yet.

The PRESIDENT: I will call the minister back to the question.

Harriet SHING: Again, Mr Mulholland, we will continue, despite all of your opposition to this project that you will never support, to deliver it in accordance with the usual mechanisms that apply through the state budget and other frameworks.