State Government asked to bring forward delivery of geelong Fast Rail to boost economy

Victoria’s peak business body is calling on works to be fast-tracked on the long-awaited Geelong Fast Rail project. Here’s why.

Victoria’s peak business body is calling on the State Government to fast-track works on the long-awaited Geelong Fast Rail project, to speed up the region’s recovery from Covid-19.

The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) on Wednesday released its 2022-23 Victorian Budget Submission, containing 73 recommendations to enable the business sector to lead the state’s economic recovery by boosting jobs and investment.

A key recommendation calls for funding to prepare business cases for “uninterrupted high-speed trains to Regional Victoria on dedicated lines from Southern Cross Station”, and for the government to “bring forward work on the Geelong Fast Rail”.

Construction on the current Geelong Fast Rail project is due to begin next year, four years after the state and federal governments announced they would partner to deliver the key infrastructure.

But, the project is set to fall well short of the Prime Minister’s March 2019 promise of a “congestion-busting rail” hitting an average speed of 160km/h and cutting the trip down to just 32 minutes – with the current project instead spruiking a 50 minute trip.

VCCI chief executive Paul Guerra said speeding up the delivery of the major project would help Geelong play a “key role in Victoria’s economic recovery”.

“Bringing forward the work on fast rail to Geelong will boost jobs, provide connectivity and generate economic development in one of Australia’s fastest growing regions,” Mr Guerra said.

“While it’s not lagging behind as such, accelerating the project will only help accelerate economic growth in Geelong.

Lara Station. Picture: Mark Wilson

“Geelong added 12,000 residents in the year to March 2021 and was the third most popular destination in Australia for people leaving capital cities. People are choosing Geelong because of its great lifestyle and its population is forecast to grow to half a million people by 2047, so it’s vital that infrastructure keeps pace with this growth.”

The VCCI Budget submission also called on the State Government to fund a “targeted, industry-led ‘Work in the Regions’ initiative to encourage new regional Victorians and young people to work in shortage industries”.

“We know that a lot of regional businesses are facing a lack of skilled, available workers and Geelong is no different,” Mr Guerra said. “We also know youth employment in Victoria stood at 12.2 per cent in January, above the national rate of 9.1 per cent.”

“We believe a targeted, industry-led `Work in the Regions’ initiative that focuses on industries experiencing labour shortages would be a win-win for Geelong. It would encourage those who are new to Geelong to take up jobs in the local community as well as encourage businesses to unlock opportunities for local young people.”

Originally published as State Government asked to bring forward delivery of geelong Fast Rail to boost economy