Universities could be asked to chip in to pay for a contentious $34.5 billion rail line as a state government attempts a project rebrand.
And why not when the universities are going to benefit from greater accessibility and increased student numbers. The corporations who benefit from this project need to contribute like everyone else.
Premier Jacinta Allan copped a grilling over Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop on Thursday after the federal government made good on releasing $2.2 billion it committed before the 2022 election.
The planned 90km orbital rail line is designed to run from Cheltenham in Melbourne’s southeast to Werribee in the outer west via the airport at Tullamarine.
The key to the unbridled success of this project is to delivery all 3 sections of the rail system sooner than later get them all rolling at once and the city can benefit from the project instead of waiting 40 years for the entire system.
This is typical of Victoria where development of the rail network is required but it happens too slowly and in chunks when it should be done in a single fowl swoop.
For example why are we talking about electrifying only to Melton when the line needs it from Ballarat area to Melbourne? Why are we talking about electrification to Wallan and not Seymour and ensure it is done once and right?
Where is the Geelong electrification?
Monash should be delighted the SRl is going to connect their campus and should contribute to the costs however small.
So…a few months ago SRL was a waste of money and the investment should be spent elsewhere.
Now it’s:
‘The key to the unbridled success of this project is to delivery all 3 sections of the rail system sooner than later get them all rolling at once and the city can benefit from the project instead of waiting 40 years for the entire system’
Talk about inconsistency. The whole idea of the SRL was that it be built over several decades. The reason being that Melbourne will grow exponentially over the next several decades with the early development commencing in the corridor between Cheltenham and Box Hill. Also, as the SRL was an investment over several decades, it isn’t going to eat into the transport budget all at once.
Some sense in looking to bring it all forward so voters can see the finish line at the present they cannot see that. If voters could see it would all be completed by 2038 then it does make people appreciate what is coming in their lifetime.
It’s not necessarily needed in its entirety in our lifetimes. The SRL is planning for the future, something that governments have been accused of NOT doing for many years.