THE opening of Melbourne’s planned $A 13bn ($US 8.6bn) rail link is likely to be delayed by at least four years to 2033 due to state funding cuts. The budget presented by the Victorian government on May 7 slashed infrastructure spending, with the airport link one of the main casualties.
As the Victorian government struggles to rein in spending and soaring debt, the latest budget reduces infrastructure spending from $A 24bn in the 2023-24 financial year to $A 15.6bn by 2027-28.
Last autumn the airport rail link project survived an independent review commissioned by the federal government, when a number of major schemes across Australia were axed, but had already been delayed as a result of a dispute between the airport operators and the Victorian government over the siting of the airport station.
The state government wanted a surface station because it would be less expensive, while the airport operators wanted an underground station. Earlier this year mediators were appointed to adjudicate.
State treasurer Mr Tim Pallas blamed the row over the airport station for the four-year delay in completing the project. He described it as a “standoff” that was unlikely to be resolved soon.
Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop project will also be affected by the budget cuts, with the completion date for early works on the eastern section pushed back from mid-2025 to early 2026.
Other rail spending in the Victorian government’s latest budget includes:
• $A 233m on driver recruitment, final testing and timetabling for the Melbourne Metro Tunnel
• $A 752m on rail and other public transport improvements and
• $A 113m for the regional rail network.
