Wednesday, 1 April 2026

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:03): (1294) My question is to the Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop. Minister, in the context of rising oil prices, the Civil Contractors Federation chief executive Nicholas Proud said that about 7.75 per cent of any tender is the cost of diesel and that, applied to a billion-dollar project, that would add $46 million to the price tag. The government has previously stated that the SRL East is immune from the government’s own calculation of 22 per cent construction cost increases since 2020. Does the government accept that these fuel spikes will impact the SRL East budget?

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:03): Thanks, Mr Mulholland. I take issue with some of the wording of your preamble. The uplift in costs associated with delivering major projects is not something from which any major project is immune. Let us be really, really clear about that. Let us be clear, then, about the business and investment case which, totalling 1000 pages of detail, including technical assessments, Mr Mulholland, has found that the Suburban Rail Loop not only is necessary, not only is nation building and not only is going to equip Victoria with the means to accommodate growth and to enable people to live within walking distance of public transport, of their jobs, of Australia’s largest universities and of health care but is also a project which under the terms of the funding and finance model is aligned with the way in which other major projects have been delivered, whether that is around value capture – the Elizabeth line, the Île-de-France – or the work that has happened, including with the city loop, on the way in which we have delivered this. Mr Mulholland, again, if you had bothered to read the business and investment case – your colleague Mr Welch I think got to page 361 before he threw in the towel – I know that you would actually appreciate that this work –

Evan Mulholland: On a point of order, President, the question was: does the government accept that these fuel price spikes will impact the SRL East budget? The minister has not come near that question.

The PRESIDENT: I think the minister responded at the beginning of her answer.

Harriet SHING: So, Mr Mulholland, I was going into the detail of the way in which the budget for the Suburban Rail Loop has been developed. Again, if you are not going to read the business and investment case, that is a reflection on you and on the position to which you aspire, Mr Mulholland, and on your capacity or inability to deliver a major project, because your lot never, ever did. Now, the work on the business and investment case –

David Davis interjected.

Harriet SHING: Mr Davis has just fessed up to the fact that you know how to deliver a major project, which is just even worse because it shows that you are wilfully blind to the need for this infrastructure. And again –

Renee Heath: The first point of order, President, is that question time is not an opportunity to attack the opposition. And the second one is that Ms Shing has misled the house by saying we never have delivered a major project.

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: I do not know how I will go rejecting a point of order when someone is holding a baby. Does that make me look mean if I do? I do uphold the point of order in that it is not an opportunity to attack the opposition, but I have to say interjections are unruly. It was very difficult to hear the minister over the interjections. If I can call the house to order, I will call the minister to the question.

Harriet SHING: The range as set out in the business and investment case of 2021 is $31 billion to $34.5 billion. The project is on time and on budget. It fits within that envelope. Again, we welcome the investment from the Albanese government of $2.2 billion to date for early works and land acquisition. Work continues. Major construction is underway across those sites, and we will continue the work to deliver the project. Even though you say ‘Stop and pause and review’, you mean ‘Sack and scrap and stop’ the delivery of tens of thousands of homes and jobs for thousands of workers as part of what then sits on top of $11.1 billion of cuts under a Liberal–One Nation coalition.

Evan Mulholland: On a point of order, President, on relevance, the minister has still not come near my question on whether the government accepts that fuel price spikes will impact the SRL East budget.

The PRESIDENT: I believe the minister has been relevant to the question. You have got 9 seconds if you like.

Harriet SHING: The range is set out in the business and investment case. The project is on time, and it is on budget.

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:08): Minister, will the government now update the SRL East costings to inform Victorians the true cost of the Cheltenham to Box Hill rail line?

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:08): Mr Mulholland, again, there is a standing order that refers to tedious repetition, but I do not think there is anything tedious about identifying the fact that you still have not read the business and investment case, which refers to $31 billion to $34.5 billion in –

David Davis interjected.

Harriet SHING: You know it is wrong?

Renee Heath: On a point of order, President, the minister is using a prop, and that offends the standing orders.

The PRESIDENT: I actually did not see you holding that up, but I ask you not to hold it up. I do not think it is a prop, it is a business case, but it can be determined like that.

Harriet SHING: Dr Heath, if you think a business and investment case for Australia’s largest infrastructure and housing project is a prop, that reflects on your inability to deliver on the work that is going to mean that future generations will be able to catch a train to Australia’s largest universities. They will be able to buy a home within walking distance of a train line. They will not be forced to have a denial of housing options available to them. You are so fixated on denying people the opportunity for housing in the inner suburbs – housing which our parents had the benefit of an opportunity to acquire and which our kids deserve the same opportunity to avail themselves of. We will continue to deliver this project. Read the business and investment case – $31 billion to $34.5 billion. The project is on time and on budget. Get on board, stop flip-flopping and join us as we continue to build it.