THE Murray Basin freight rail project is one that is close to my heart, and one that local residents raise with me almost daily.
The Murray Basin Rail Project has been in a state of paralysis, shrouded in endless excuses from Spring Street.
The Federal Government and stakeholders need confidence that the Victorian Government, which owns this track and is managing the project, will use any further investment wisely.
To date, we’ve seen hundreds of millions of dollars spent with little benefit to industries in Mallee.
In fact, many of the outcomes of the work have left industry worse off than before
The business case that Victoria keeps referring to needs to be released without further delay, so the community and industry have oversight of whatever options are included within.
The secrecy has to stop – the question-dodging has to stop – Victoria needs to take responsibility for its management of the project and for identifying a clear way forward to fixing it.
We deserve to know what that way forward is.
Projects such as the Ouyen Intermodal and the expansion at Seaway’s intermodal in Merbein are reliant on the Murray Basin Rail Project being completed in a timely manner. Any discussion about passenger rail is dependent on the project being completed.
The 2020 grain harvest is about to commence. This is yet another missed opportunity which our primary producers will pay for in lost efficiencies. The state of the rail means more B-doubles and road trains on our country roads every day, resulting in further road deterioration and risking the safety of our local mums, dads and kids who use these roads.
This project is too important for Victoria to mismanage again, which is why we need transparency.
I urge the Victorian Government to release the business case to stakeholders now.
