The Andrews Labor Government can’t find money in the budget to fix the Murray Basin Rail mess it created, but has mega bucks for a pie in the sky project that doesn’t even have a business case.
Under Labor’s poor project management, Murray Basin Rail has run out of money. It’s half-finished and what has been completed has been done so badly, it needs to be ripped up and replaced.
But rather than finding money to finish this project – which would have huge economic benefits for the whole state, remove trucks from crumbling regional roads and provide efficient routes to market for grain farmers – Daniel Andrews is demanding the Federal Government pay.
Rather than fixing their own mistakes and completing this project, Daniel Andrews and Labor are instead sinking $2.2 billion into the Suburban Rail Loop. It’s a pie in the sky mega project that has no business case and has no completion date.
The Liberal Nationals’ Back to Work Plan, released 1 November, stated that the Andrews Labor Government must deliver the Murray Basin Rail project in full by December 2022.
Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Ports and Freight, Roma Britnell:
“If you wanted proof that Daniel Andrews doesn’t care about regional infrastructure, this is it. He’s ignoring a project that would have huge benefits for the whole state, favouring a pipe dream that doesn’t even have a business case.
“Murray Basin Rail makes sense – it’s vital to efficiently move freight to ports, and to ensure more trucks are taken off crumbling regional roads.
“The Grattan Institute has said that taxpayers would get more bang for their buck if government upgraded existing infrastructure, rather than focusing solely on mega projects.
“Daniel Andrews and Labor need to take that advice on board and rather than sinking billions into a city-based mega project, make investments in existing infrastructure that will bring benefits to the whole state.”
