Allan govt dumps $900k-a-year Suburban Rail Loop boss
Controversial Suburban Rail Loop boss “FIFO Frankie” Carroll will not have his contract renewed after senior government figures — including Jacinta Allan — went cold on him.
The Allan government has dumped the $900,000-a-year boss of the Suburban Rail Loop, in a major shake-up for the contentious $34.5bn project.
Frankie Carroll, who was hand-picked by Daniel Andrews from Queensland for the role as SRL Authority CEO, has been told his contract won’t be renewed next year.
The head of the Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority, Kevin Devlin, will be acting CEO from January 5 while a recruitment process is run.
It was recently revealed that Mr Carroll was paid almost $1m a year to run the controversial SRL East, which is a $34.5bn rail tunnel between Cheltenham and Box Hill.
This is significantly more than the Prime Minister earns, and about $200,000 more than an independent remuneration tribunal recommended.
Suburban Rail Loop Minister Harriet Shing confirmed in a statement that Mr Carroll had advised that he would be leaving the Suburban Rail Loop Authority – concluding his role as CEO.
“He has led the organisation through a critical period of planning and early delivery – providing stability, expertise and direction as we awarded major tunnelling contracts and got on with major works, while preparing for tunnelling to begin next year,” Ms Shing said.
“I thank him for his contribution to one of Australia’s most significant housing and infrastructure projects and for his dedication to the team.”
Ms Shing said Mr Devlin’s interim appointment brings extensive project delivery experience to the role after helping to build and open the Metro Tunnel and West Gate Tunnel.
Mr Carroll had earned the nickname “FIFO Frankie” because of arrangements he had to keep a home in Brisbane and sometimes fly in and out of his Big Build job.
Industry had warmed to the straight-shooting Mr Carroll, but it is understood senior members of the government, including Premier Jacinta Allan, had recently gone cold on the SRL CEO.
Mr Carroll has been in the role since 2021, with his contract due for renewal next year.
The SRL East is the government’s largest infrastructure project and will create the first stage of a new orbital rail line around Melbourne.
It has been a divisive project since it was floated without the input of the head of the state transport department, shortly before the 2018 state election.
The new line will create six new stations and major high-rise precincts around them, at Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill.
It will create rail connections to major universities and to jobs hubs, and is expected to encourage developers to build 70,000 new homes.
Some experts have questioned prioritising the project in the current financial climate, but Ms Allan has described it as critical for the growing city and state.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also promised to top-up federal funding for the line, which so far has $2.2bn from his government.
The Allan government had banked on a third of the project funding — up to $11.5bn — coming from the Commonwealth.
Shadow Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Evan Mulholland said dysfunction and uncertainty continue to plague the Suburban Rail Loop.
“Jacinta Allan has sacked the captain, but the ship is still sinking. Dumping Frankie Carroll won’t fix a project that was doomed from the start,” Mr Mulholland said.
“Frankie Carroll is the fall guy for Labor’s financial incompetence. They can cycle through as many CEOs as they like, but it doesn’t change the fact that this project is a $200 billion albatross around the neck of the Victorian economy.
“Labor continues to waste billions of dollars on its pet project, whilst Victorians are stuck in gridlock on crumbling roads and being denied the basic train, tram and bus services they deserve.”
Originally published as Allan govt dumps $900k-a-year Suburban Rail Loop boss
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