taking longer to get to port than when the project started.
“The Federal and Liberal Nationals Government put more than $200 million on the table to fix Labor’s mess, with just $5 million needed from the Victorian Government to get planning underway for future stages.
“Jacinta Allan’s arrogance is all that stands in the way of transforming the productivity and profitability of our growers and transport stakeholders in north-west Victoria.
“Daniel Andrews has found billions to plug metro project cost blowouts in Melbourne, but is prepared to blow a once-in-a-generation opportunity for regional Victorians that just needs $5 million from the Andrews Government.”
The Victorian Farmers Federation slammed the “Andrews government backtracking” that “flies in the face of common sense”.
In March last year, the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office (VAGO) found cost blowouts had left the Basin Rail barely half finished – despite 86.7 per cent of the project’s budget ($381.5 million) having been spent.
Shadow Minister for Transport Infrastructure David Davis said Jacinta Allan has the opposite of the Midas touch, except her transport infrastructure projects end up much smellier than lead.
“Labor cannot manage major projects, cannot manage money and has now been forced to admit it doesn’t want to deliver what was promised to north-west Victoria,” Mr Davis said.
“Having comprehensively botched the Murray Basin Rail Project, Labor are now trying to just give up and walk away, having spent all the money but delivered none of the benefits.
“The Minister is a disgrace and Labor have no solutions.”