Melbourne Airport rail link mediator Neil Scales’ report outlines three recommendations
The mediator in the Melbourne Airport rail link wars has recommended against the underground station option unless there is a “comprehensive” business case showing it stacks up.
Victoria
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Melbourne’s booming population and growing airline passenger numbers mean the stalled $10bn Airport Rail Link is an economic necessity, a project mediator says.
Neil Scales, who was brought in after the project went off the rails amid a funding review and a dispute over the location of a station, has baulked at an underground station for the project — pushed for by airport operators — because of a lack of geotechnical information.
He instead recommended getting going on building a Sunshine super hub that will make use of early airport rail works and is necessary for the project, and model traffic on the Tullamarine Fwy to show how urgent the need for the rail link was.
He said that without the project being delivered “there is a risk of a loss of economic benefits to Victoria”.
“Should APAM (operator Australia Pacific Airports Melbourne) wish to progress with an underground station option at the airport, it is recommended they produce a suitable and comprehensive business case to do so,” the report’s executive summary says.
“This will require adequate and sufficient geotechnical studies to be carried out, together with a tried and tested methodology, so that key stakeholders can examine the proposal in detail.”
Mr Scales is on a $50,000 contract that ends in September, and he conducted 10 meetings before finalising the report — but none involved the state government and airport meeting together.
Two meetings were held with the Victorian transport department secretary, as well as one with the delivery agency.
He also met with Melbourne Airport, federal transport department officials, IMF investors, civil engineering company Laing O’Rourke, the Suburban Rail Loop Authority, High Speed Rail Authority and Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King.
A full version of the report is not being released by the Albanese government, but has been sent to APAM and the Allan government.
Ms King said the Albanese government would prepare for the Tullamarine modelling, and encouraged the Allan government and APAM to “work constructively together to determine next steps to progress this important project”.
A 2022 Infrastructure Australia evaluation of the Airport Rail business case predicted the Tullamarine Fwy would reach capacity in 2036, but that a rail service should be operational before that time.
State Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson said the report makes clear “Melbourne Airport’s demand for an underground station does not stack up”.
“It will involve greater disruption, take almost two years longer to deliver and cost taxpayers billions more,” he said.
Neither the state of federal governments were clear on when the project could get back on track.
Earlier this year the Allan government said it would pause the project for four years, which means it would not be built until at least 2033.
Federal opposition infrastructure spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie said the report didn’t appear to end the current stalemate and meant Melbourne would “lag decades behind Sydney and Brisbane as the only city of Australia’s big three without a fast and convenient rail connection to the airport”.
“The Melbourne Airport Rail project has been read its last rites by a weak Albanese government unable to stand up to a state Labor premier determined to build a $220bn Suburban Rail Loop to nowhere,” she said.
“It is now clear there will never be a rail line to Melbourne Airport under either Victorian or Federal Labor.”
Mr Scales says in his report summary that the project was “key to the future economic success and development of Melbourne Airport” and that parties involved need to engage “in
meaningful negotiations to deliver this project”.
“The benefits of the successful delivery of this project to all stakeholders, including the public, are too great to be foregone,” he says.
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