{"id":54332,"date":"2024-05-27T18:14:39","date_gmt":"2024-05-27T08:14:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=54332"},"modified":"2024-05-27T18:14:44","modified_gmt":"2024-05-27T08:14:44","slug":"gov-accused-of-suppressing-the-truth-to-hide-suburban-rail-loop-cost-blowouts-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=54332","title":{"rendered":"Gov accused of \u2018suppressing the truth\u2019 to hide Suburban Rail Loop cost blowouts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Victoria\u2019s financial watchdog has been asked to probe \u201csecrecy and misleading reporting\u201d in the state budget, amid concerns about hidden road and rail cost blowouts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a letter to Auditor-General Dr Andrew Greaves, Opposition Leader John Pesutto says budget papers include a $33.3bn pool of funding referred to as \u201cdecisions made but not yet allocated\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Pesutto says putting money into so-called \u201ccontingencies\u201d, despite decisions already being made, was shielding major project funding from proper scrutiny. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He took aim at the $34.5bn Suburban Rail Loop East<\/a>, a 26km underground line planned between Cheltenham and Box Hill that has funding estimates listed as \u201cto be confirmed\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

An artist’s concept of a Suburban Rail Loop train Source: Suburban Rail Loop Authority<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Pesutto says a pattern of obscuring costs has recently emerged, pointing to an investigation by Dr Greaves into the Commonwealth Games fiasco<\/a>, which exposed how the Government hid a $1bn funding blowout in \u201ccontingencies\u201d before the event was axed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Government engaged in this practice to suppress the truth about blowouts in the cost of the Commonwealth Games,\u201d he writes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt now appears to be doing the same thing regarding the SRL.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Victoria\u2019s financial watchdog has been asked to probe \u201csecrecy and misleading reporting\u201d in the state budget, with billions allegedly shielded from proper scrutiny \u2014 and comparisons being made to the Commonwealth Games fiasco.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":26743,"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":[273,999,163,8160],"tags":[993,8,8751],"class_list":["post-54332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australia","category-australia-politics","category-rail-industry-news-australia-new-zealand","category-suburban-rail-loop","tag-melbourne","tag-victoria","tag-victorian-government"],"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