By Parker McKenzie
The Victorian Liberal Party will scrap the 90-kilometre suburban rail loop if elected to government in November, a move which would scuttle connecting the Belgrave and Lilydale lines to Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley and Burwood by 2035, and eventually Melbourne Airport.
Liberals leader Matthew Guy announced the commitment on Wednesday 17 August and said Victorians face a clear choice “between immediately rebuilding Victoria’s broken health system or a train line in 13 years time.”
“As Premier, my first priority will be to fix the health crisis,” he said.
“Our plan is about returning confidence for Victorians. Confidence that an ambulance will arrive, an emergency call will be answered and critical healthcare will be available when needed.”
Mr Guy said an elected Liberal government will direct the funding set aside for the project into the hospital and healthcare system, but would honour the contracts already signed for the first stage of the SRL which aims to link every major rail line from the Frankston Line to the Werribee Line via Melbourne Airport.
The first stage of the $34.5 billion Suburban Rail Loop will connect Box Hill station with Cheltenham, Melbourne Airport and Werribee, giving Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges the ability to also travel from Box Hill to the Southland Station on the Frankston Line and connect with university hubs like Monash University in Clayton and Deakin University in Burwood.
Construction on the SRL East began in June 2022, with announced funding for the SRL East totalling $11.8 billion. According to the 2022/23 state budget, additional funding will be “achieved through a range of private sector investment and value capture sources,” with the state government seeking a matching contribution from the Commonwealth Government. Construction
Minister for Suburban Rail Loop and Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan said the project would create thousands of jobs and Victorians voted for it at the last election.
“Today Matthew Guy has finally come clean: the Liberals will cut the Suburban Rail Loop,” she said.
“Whether it’s building the Suburban Rail Loop, the Metro Tunnel, the North East Link, upgrading suburban roads or removing level crossings only Labor will deliver the projects Victorians need.”
The SRL North, set to begin after the eastern portion of the rail loop, would subsequently connect Box Hill station and Melbourne Airport.
