Today in State Parliament, Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan waxed lyrical about Labor’s rail projects in Melbourne while ignoring the elephant in the room – the once-in-a-generation Murray Basin Rail Project.
The Andrews Labor Government has made an absolute mess of the Basin Rail project with it now out-of-money and stalled.
Its future relies on the Andrews Government submitting a revised business case to the Federal Government outlining how the remaining stages will be funded and completed.
Producers and transport stakeholders in north-west Victoria say they’ve been left worse off than before work started after Labor’s cost blowouts, missed deadlines, poor procurement and appalling contract management.
Comment attributable to Shadow Minister for Regional Victoria and Decentralisation Peter Walsh
Jacinta Allan can duck the issue all she wants but producers and transport stakeholders will never forgive the Minister if she abandons these critical upgrades.
A faster, more efficient Basin Rail network is a transformational opportunity to open north-west Victorian producers up to domestic and international markets.
No more kicking the can down the road.
Labor has found billions to put into project cost blowouts in Melbourne.
Minister for Excuses Jacinta Allan has no excuse to leave the Basin Rail project stalled and out of money.
