THE Victorian Government has left the Murray Basin Rail Project “languishing” with no indication how the project will be completed in full, according to The Nationals’ leader Peter Walsh.
Mr Walsh said the project, under the Labor Government’s watch, had been dogged by cost blowouts and project mismanagement and had failed to meet key milestones, leaving the project stalled indefinitely.
His comments followed the release of a Murray Basin Rail Project report card by the Rail Freight Alliance, which showed the government had failed on 13 of 14 the government’s own issues and proposed benefit scopes.
Mr Walsh said that despite questioning in State Parliament this week, the Labor Government had again failed to explain how it would fix and finish the “botched” project.
He said farmers in north-west Victoria rightly expected Premier Daniel Andrews to keep his promise to complete the project in full.
“Arrogant grandstanding from the Premier won’t fix the mess Labor has made of this once-in-a-generation project,” Mr Walsh said.
“Instead of making it easier for farmers in north-west Victoria to access port and international markets, Labor’s failed delivery has left farmers and the freight industry worse off,” he said.
Mr Walsh said the Premier and Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan need to quit excuses and get on with funding, fixing and finishing the project.
Mr Andrews told parliament Ms Allan was in ongoing discussions with her federal counterpart.
“We hope to be able to have more to say about that soon,” Mr Andrews said.
“In terms of the assertion in the question that this government has not invested strongly in regional Victoria, I again reject that,” he said.
“That is simply not borne out by the facts — billions and billions of dollars.
“We are investing in record and unprecedented terms, not just in metropolitan Melbourne, not just in road, not just in rail, not just in hospitals, not just in schools but across the board in every part of our state — city and country, suburbs and the centre of Melbourne, regional centres, the smallest of country towns.”
Worse off now than before, says Milne
THE Rail Freight Alliance says the Murray Basin’s railways are worse off than before the Murray Basin Rail Project started.
The alliance this week released its report card based on the Labor Government’s own 2015 issues to be addressed and proposed benefits document, claiming the state had failed in all but one of 14 nominated project scopes.
Chair and Mildura councillor Glenn Milne said the government had “completely failed” in the promised delivery and outcomes of the project.
“What is now abundantly clear is that the Murray Basin Rail Project region is worse now than before the project started,” Cr Milne said.
“This project cannot be left in the state it is in.
“The government owes industry and rural and regional Victorians to fix and complete this project they promised.
“Industry has made significant financial commitments on the back of the Andrews Government’s promise and they have been failed.”
