{"id":194786,"date":"2025-04-03T09:03:23","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T23:03:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=194786"},"modified":"2025-04-03T09:03:24","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T23:03:24","slug":"peter-dutton-makes-6-5b-melbourne-airport-rail-link-election-pledge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=194786","title":{"rendered":"Peter Dutton makes $6.5b Melbourne Airport Rail Link election pledge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has pledged $6.5 billion to fund the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, while scrapping $4.2 billion in Suburban Rail Loop funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The election promise to increase funding for the airport rail by $1.5 billion is dependent, however, on both federal and state Coalition governments succeeding at their next elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its first major policy announcement since Mr Dutton\u2019s budget reply speech, the Coalition said on Monday night it would cancel Labor\u2019s Suburban Rail Loop and SRL Sunshine Station promise if elected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Peter Dutton plans to scrap Labor\u2019s Suburban Rail Loop project if elected. Picture: Thomas Lisson \/ NewsWire<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA Dutton Coalition Government will reinvest every dollar of the $4.2 billion of federal funding for SRL and SRL Sunshine Station into other Victorian road and rail projects, like extending the Frankston line to Langwarrin and Baxter, and duplicating Donnybrook Road and planning for the extension of the Upfield line in Melbourne\u2019s north,\u201d a joint statement between Mr Dutton and Victorian Senator Bridget McKenzie read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The announcement comes less than two weeks after the Allan and Albanese governments and Melbourne Airport signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), committing to work together to start the delivery of the Airport Rail Link.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Catherine King said while there was a \u201clittle way to go\u201d, the MOU was a significant step in progressing the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is an important step in ensuring that we have the right processes in place to have officials work together,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt gives permission for officials to start the work together to make sure that we get the right outcome for both the airport but also for the people of Victoria.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mr Dutton and Victorian Senator Bridget McKenzie announced the Coalition\u2019s plans for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link in a joint statement released on Monday. Picture: NewsWire \/ Martin Ollman<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Opposition Leader\u2019s announcement also comes one month after the Albanese government announced a $2 billion investment in a new rail \u201csuperhub\u201d at Sunshine, which would play a key role in the Airport Rail Link.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has made a huge new $6.5bn infrastructure call, but there\u2019s a catch to the spend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":68576,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,513,47],"tags":[993,10958,8],"class_list":["post-194786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-melbourne-airport","category-rail-news","tag-melbourne","tag-melbourne-airport-rail-link","tag-victoria"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t