Wednesday, 29 October 2025

 Richard WELCH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:04): (1094) My question is for the Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop. Minister, I refer to the findings on pages 96 and 98 of the PAEC budget estimates report tabled yesterday. Infrastructure Australia has called for the Victorian government to provide certain information before the Commonwealth commits to any further funding of the Suburban Rail Loop East project. This information is updated cost estimates, a detailed and comprehensive value capture strategy and an updated cost–benefit analysis. Minister, I ask: why has this information not been provided to date, and when will it be provided?

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:05): Mr Welch, what a pleasure to hear from you on the Suburban Rail Loop. It has been a couple of weeks since you asked, but in those weeks a lot has been happening on the ground for a project where major construction is already underway. What I would say to you –

Richard Welch interjected.

Harriet SHING: I will take up that interjection, Mr Welch. You just said, ‘What about Infrastructure Australia?’ Well, ding-ding, it seems like finally you have actually read that report, which starts with a very clear statement that the Suburban Rail Loop is a nation-building priority project, that it is a project that warrants funding. And the recommendation was to allocate $2.2 billion to that particular –

Members interjecting.

Richard Welch: On a point of order, President, I am referring to the PAEC report. The minister is referring to a different report. The question is about the findings in the PAEC report and the request of Infrastructure Australia. When is she going to provide that information?

The PRESIDENT: The minister to continue.

Harriet SHING: At the risk of tedious repetition, Mr Welch, you might wish to repeat your preamble, which was very, very clear in its reference to Infrastructure Australia and the direct citation which then informs the PAEC report. Mr Welch, it seems that at last you have read the Infrastructure Australia report, which is also clearly set out in the way in which that reasoning from the parliamentary committee here in Victoria has made a number of findings. What those findings do is very clearly indicate the work of Infrastructure Australia. Again, it is not a decision-making body, as you know, Mr Welch; it is an advisory body which does provide information to the Commonwealth infrastructure department. It has done a power of work in providing its report and has also made it very clear in that report; as you would know, Mr Welch, it recommended release of the $2.2 billion. Now, we are continuing to do that work.

Evan Mulholland interjected.

Harriet SHING: Mr Mulholland, I am going to take you up on that interjection. You just referred to exit strategies. Any major project that is delivered needs to have an exit strategy. A couple of your mob might like to be thinking about exit strategies as well, Mr Mulholland, because as it stands, you have got no plan to deliver anything. You have never delivered a major project. Victorians have backed this project in at multiple elections. It stacks up. The Prime Minister, the Treasurer, the Deputy Prime Minister, the infrastructure minister, the Premier and Victorians at multiple elections have been very clear about this project. We are continuing to provide information.

Members interjecting.

Harriet SHING: I am literally answering the question.

Richard Welch: On a point of order, President, I am desperately searching for and seeking any semblance of an answer to the question in that ramble. I cannot find it.

The PRESIDENT: Order! From what I could hear I felt that the minister was responsive to the question.

Harriet SHING: Again, you cannot help yourselves in the way in which you ask these questions, because the answer to the question actually lies in the question itself: Infrastructure Australia’s report has been issued, which recommends release of the $2.2 billion. Infrastructure Australia is an advisory body. It has acquitted its responsibilities and obligations. We continue to work with the Commonwealth on, again, the due diligence process for the delivery of this project. Now, Mr Welch, I do not want to have to table the business and investment case again, but if you would like me to, I am very happy to do so. Again, it is set out in the business and investment case. The project is on time and on budget. Get on board, Mr Welch, because Victorian certainly have.

 Richard WELCH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:08): President, I do not know if drivel is unparliamentary, but that is certainly what we have just heard. It was a very –

Harriet Shing: On a point of order, President, Mr Welch has asked a question. I am not sure if that was his supplementary or not, but if it was not, I would invite him to withdraw.

The PRESIDENT: I reckon we just kind of move on in a better way.

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: I think it was a question of me, but I do not want to set a new precedent that you can ask questions of me, because I do not think I would enjoy that. I reckon we just reset. Mr Welch, you may start from the start, without the other bit, and we go on.

Richard WELCH: I think everyone should note that we did not get an answer on when this information, and particularly the updated cost, is going to be provided – we never ever, ever do. I refer again to Public Accounts and Estimates Committee budget estimates report recommendation 16 that:

… The Department of Transport and Planning publish an update on the recommendations in Infrastructure Australia’s report.

and recommendation 17 calling for:

… an updated cost-benefit analysis …

This was something, of course, that the committee had unanimity on. We had bipartisan support on this. It is clearly important, and your colleagues think so also. Minister, will you comply with these recommendations and if so, when?

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:11): This is a supplementary which has departed very significantly from the substantive question. You were in the first instance inviting an action as it relates to the Commonwealth government. What I would say to you, Mr Welch, is that we are continuing to work with the Commonwealth and we are continuing to make sure that as we step through that process of due diligence we are providing information to assist with that process as set out in the business and investment case. Again, Mr Welch, for the comfort of you and your constituents as you work through what appears to now be the 10th or 11th different position that the coalition has had on this particular project, we are working on time and on budget. We will have tunnel-boring machines arriving later this year. We will have tunnel boring kicking off next year.

Richard Welch: On a point of order, President, with about 15 seconds left, there has not been any attempt whatsoever to answer the question. You cannot use up the first half of the response in recrafting the question to your own desires and then not answer the question.

The PRESIDENT: You are debating the point of order. I call the minister to continue.

Harriet SHING: Mr Welch, we want to continue with the work to provide the Commonwealth with the information that it is seeking. And this is where again there is continuous engagement between me, the transport infrastructure minister and her office, the Treasurer, her counterpart, the work across departments. Again, this is a process we will continue to work through. Get on board, Mr Welch.

 Richard WELCH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:12): I move:

That the minister’s answer be taken into consideration on the next day of meeting.

Motion agreed to.