Future Victoria: Albanese, business leaders reveal how to propel the state forward
Anthony Albanese has said $7bn will be poured into Melbourne’s Airport Rail link, saying the project had been delayed for too long, as he joined some of the state’s most influential figures at a Herald Sun Future Victoria event.
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More than $3bn has been pledged to Victoria in two major infrastructure announcements as the state takes centre stage in the federal election campaign.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed the cash splash exclusively at the Herald Sun’s Future Victoria event on Wednesday, where he unveiled an extra $2bn to supercharge early works on the long-awaited Airport Rail Link.
Mr Albanese also announced $1.2bn funding to upgrade suburban roads.
The rail cash injection brings the total federal allocation for the airport link to $7bn, with Mr Albanese proclaiming the money was in the budget because “we want to lock in a start date” after years of delays.
“I’m sure there are editions of the Herald Sun dating back 20 to 30 years talking about the urgent need for a train to Tullamarine,” he said.
The hotly anticipated Airport Rail Link project has been stalled for years due to a long-running dispute between the Victorian government and Melbourne Airport and the state prioritising the controversial Suburban Rail Loop first stage from Cheltenham to Box Hill.
A mediator – who was last year appointed to resolve the standoff over the location of the station at Tullamarine – baulked at the airport’s demand for it to be underground.
In a shift, the Allan government, which has already committed $5bn to the airport link, announced on Wednesday it would fast-track $2bn of its existing commitment.
The new $2bn from the Commonwealth and fast-tracked $2bn from Victoria will be spent on major upgrades to Melbourne’s messy western suburbs rail lines that will unscramble freight, metro and regional rail services and transform Sunshine station, which has been described as the “Southern Cross of the west”.
About 6km of tracks between Sunshine and West Footscray will get signalling upgrades and be separated to allow for more trains to run, and to pave the way for electrification of a line to Melton – one of the city’s fastest growing regions.
The massive rail operation will be done while largely keeping rail traffic flowing, meaning it will take up to four years to finish.
By the end, there will be stand-alone local and national freight lines, three regional lines and the potential for three metro lines – from the airport, Melton, and Sunbury – running through Sunshine.
While that work is ongoing, the tracks to Melbourne Airport that include a massive new rail bridge and a Keilor East station, could be built.
However, it is unlikely passengers will board trains to Tullamarine before 2033 – four years later than when a route was agreed to by former prime minister Scott Morrison and former premier Daniel Andrews earlier this decade.
Mr Albanese denied that the airport rail commitment meant that he was turning away from the state government’s unpopular $34.5bn first stage of the SRL.
Premier Jacinta Allan on Wednesday welcomed the airport link cash injection, describing it as a “great day for Victoria”.
But Ms Allan refused to say when passengers would be able to catch a train to and from the airport, instead highlighting the importance of works to overhaul Sunshine station from next year.
“You can’t get a train line to the airport unless you unlock the works at Sunshine, which is exactly what this project is about,” she said.
Melbourne Airport said it was working “constructively” with both levels of government to ensure the “important piece of infrastructure is delivered for Victoria”.
Neither the state nor federal governments have committed funding to the Melton electrification project, which would cost billions and require the government to build new tracks, but infrastructure experts say it is one of the state’s most pressing public transport problems.
The announcements come after a huge swing against the Allan state government in the Werribee by-election earlier this month, with fears from federal Labor politicians they could lose a number of seats at the upcoming election if the result was repeated.
Insiders suggest the new funding is aimed to woo voters in the city’s west, where locals feel they’ve been abandoned by Labor on issues including infrastructure investment, and regard the SRL first stage as benefitting only voters in Melbourne’s east.
The sold-out lunch – co-hosted by the Herald Sun and Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry was attended by key political figures including Ms Allan, Opposition Leader Brad Battin and federal ministers Clare O’Neil and Catherine King.
Ms Allan said Future Victoria was a “great event” that allowed guests to “put forward the case really strongly that Melbourne, as Australia’s fastest growing city, deserves a national platform and deserves national attention”.
During his keynote speech, Mr Albanese said Victoria was central in his plan to building the nation’s future.
“Victoria is a global leader, not just a national one. Victorian businesses, universities, TAFEs, research centres, cultural and sporting institutions are ambassadors for Australia,” he said. “Of course, I recognise the state is facing challenges too. The world has thrown a lot at Australia in recent years – and Victorians have endured more than their fair share.”
During a wide-ranging interview with Herald Sun editor Sam Weir, Mr Albanese remained tight-lipped as to when Australians would be sent back to the polls. But the PM said he felt confident he would be returned to power at the upcoming federal election.
Despite polling indicating a hung parliament as a likely outcome, Mr Albanese was confident he would again form a majority government.
Asked who he would direct his first phone call to if he failed to meet that target, Mr Albanese said: “First call I intend to make (after the election) is to (deputy Prime Minister) Richard Marles to say: ‘Well done mate, we’re there’. That’s my objective.”
Mr Albanese was also quizzed about the failed Voice to Parliament referendum, rising anti-Semitism including the terrorist attack on the Adass Israel synagogue and his broken promise to introduce tax cuts.
Mr Albanese said his decision to backflip on tax cuts took “courage” but had paid off.
His $1.2bn roads repair blitz was welcomed by Federal Labor MPs who said it showed the government was listening to voters.
But Victorian Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking said regional Victoria had been ignored.
Victoria is ‘facing challenges’
During his speech, Mr Albanese acknowledged that Victorians had endured a tough few years.
“I recognise the state is facing challenges. The world has thrown a lot at Australia in recent years, and Victorians have endured more than their fair share,” he said.
Mr Albanese, who said he had been to Melbourne more than 50 times since becoming Prime Minister in 2022, said he was committed to delivering for the future.
“Even when you’re navigating rough seas, you’ve got to have your eyes on that horizon,” he said.
During a Q&A session hosted by Herald Sun editor Sam Weir, Mr Albanese said the cash splash was necessary to get the project moving.
“We want to get on with it,” he said.
Mr Albanese insisted that he also supported the highly contentious $34.5bn Suburban Rail Loop project, which the Herald Sun this week revealed was dipping in public support.
He said he was on the “same page” with Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan about the road and rail projects that needed to be prioritised in Victoria.
But federal Opposition infrastructure spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie said Labor could not be trusted on big-spending infrastructure promises.
“The Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has repeatedly claimed that the $4bn Sunshine Station upgrade has to be done first, which would not be completed before 2030, further debunking the Prime Minister’s assertions that this project will get under way within the decade,” Senator McKenzie said.
“He won’t say how long Melbourne communities will have to wait for the funding to hit the ground, or how much will be delivered over the next three years.
“The only party that has consistently supported the construction of a rail link from Melbourne city to Tullamarine Airport, is the Coalition – federal and state.”
Senator McKenzie also took aim at Mr Albanese’s $1.2bn investment to fix suburban roads, saying it was a “desperate reaction” to state Labor’s Werribee by-election shock after ignoring the problem.
Victorian Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking said regional Victoria had been neglected in the cash splash.
“It’s a genuine slap in the face for those living outside of Melbourne,” he said.
“This funding announcement was billed as ‘Victoria’s fair share.’ It should be rebranded as ‘Melbourne’s fair share’, as there is little to smile about from a regional Victorian’s perspective.”
Mr Albanese, who refused to reveal when Australians would go to the polls, said he was confident he would win the upcoming federal election.
Despite polling indicating that a hung parliament could be a likely outcome, Mr Albanese said he believed he could retain power in a majority government.
Asked who he would direct his first phone call to if he failed to meet that target, Mr Albanese said: “First call I intend to make (after the election) is to (deputy Prime Minister) Richard Marles to say ‘well done mate, we’re there’. That’s my objective.”
“What I’m interested in is governing in majority,” he added.
“In terms of a path forward, if you want a majority government, I’m the only person leading a single-party seeking majority government and I believe we’ll get there.”
The wide-ranging interview also covered topics including the failed Voice referendum, rising anti-Semitism, including the terrorist attack on the Adass Israel synagogue and his broken promise to introduce tax cuts.
Mr Albanese said the tax cuts backflip took “courage” but said it had paid off and wasn’t shaping up to be an election issue.
Towards the end of the interview, Mr Weir asked Mr Albanese to provide a rapid-fire response to each of the following figures:
Mr Albanese responded:
Peter Dutton: “Not gonna win”.
Daniel Andrews: “Friend”.
Donald Trump: “US president”.
Lidia Thorpe: “Careful who you vote for”.
The Teals: “Interesting … only there because the Liberal Party has created that vacuum.”
The Greens: “Lost their way, don’t care about the environment, don’t vote for them.”
Jacinta Allan: “Dear friend”.
Jodie Hayden: “Lover”.
PM says cash splash Victoria’s ‘fair share’
Speaking ahead of his keynote address at the event, Anthony Albanese said his pre-election cash splash on Victorian road and rail projects was about the state getting its “fair share” of infrastructure spending.
The Prime Minister took aim at former Coalition governments for under-investing in vital infrastructure projects.
“We have turned that around,” Mr Albanese said on Wednesday.
“Victorians want infrastructure. They want rail, and they want roads. They want bus.
“This is Victoria getting its fair share of infrastructure spending, which is precisely what I promised to do.”
He rejected the assertion the Victorian government had been stalling federal funding in a bid to force his hand and stump up more cash for the first phase of the contentious Suburban Rail Loop project.
The state will be a key battleground at the upcoming election with several Labor-held seats across metropolitan Melbourne in play.
Leaders join forces to address Vic’s challenges
Herald Sun editor Sam Weir kicked off the Herald Sun’s Future Victoria event in Melbourne, in partnership with the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Premier Jacinta Allan, Opposition Leader Brad Battin and Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece have joined some of the state’s most influential figures to address the challenges and opportunities facing Victoria.
Federal minister Clare O’Neil and state ministers Gabrielle Williams, Enver Erdogan and Colin Brooks were also in attendance on Wednesday.
In his opening address to the event, Mr Weir said the Future Victoria series was designed to highlight the opportunities that the state should embrace.
“We’ve come together today because we all care deeply about the future of Victoria,” he said.
“Future Victoria is about securing the best possible future for our amazing state, and everyone who loves to live here.
“The Future Victoria series has put the spotlight on a multitude of innovative ideas to propel our state forward across education, infrastructure, health, transport, culture and major events.”
Delays to affordable housing
The discovery of tiny critters, including rare frogs, are causing “years”-long delays to affordable housing in Victoria’s outer suburbs, Villawood Properties executive director Rory Costelloe told the Future Victoria event.
Mr Costelloe, speaking on a panel alongside Swinburne University Professor Laura-Anne Bull and Transurban chief executive Michelle Jablko, pointed the finger at federal environment laws for huge delays to housing across greenfield sites.
He said the process of protecting recently rediscovered “little critters”, including the growling grass frog, was holding up new developments for “years”.
The Herald Sun revealed last year that more than 300,000 potential homes from Sunbury to Geelong were delayed and under threat due to the rediscovery of the critically endangered grassland earless dragon.
“It’s amazing how this federal system, federal environment laws, are holding up development in this state, seriously holding it up for years,” he said.
Mr Costelloe urged the state government to start focusing on building more homes, particularly in the outer ring, and not raising more taxes.
“So to me, affordability is not raising new taxes to pay for social housing,” he said.
“Affordability is getting supply.”
As the Allan government forges ahead with its apartment blitz, Mr Costelloe said most immigrants that come to Australia didn’t come to live in a high-rise apartment.
“They come to live in a detached house,” he said.
“(There is) plenty of space between the region, the outer growth areas, middle ring.”
He said a new fast-tracked permit approvals process for townhouses and apartments up to three storeys, however, would “really help bring people back into the burbs”.
Premier Jacinta Allan said the Herald Sun’s Future Victoria event was a huge success.
“It was a great event because it provided an opportunity for the leaders across the Victorian community … to come together, to not just hear from the Prime Minister, but also put forward the case really strongly that Melbourne, as Australia’s fastest growing city, deserves a national platform and deserves national attention,” she said.
“We have the highest level of business investment of anywhere in the nation, the highest level of jobs growth of anywhere in the nation
“We are building and completing more homes than anywhere in the nation.
“And today we have investment from the federal government in those critically important projects that support the vibrancy, the growth but most importantly the people that live in this great state.”
Originally published as Future Victoria: Albanese, business leaders reveal how to propel the state forward
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