‘Show us the money’: Victorian coalition seeks federal pledge if cross-city road tunnel re-emerges

Anthony Albanese has been asked to guarantee the federal government will help build the new road tunnel in Melbourne if the Victorian coalition is elected in November.

The Albanese government has been asked to guarantee it will help build a new cross-city road tunnel in Melbourne if the Victorian coalition is elected in November.

State Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has pledged to resurrect the East West Link if he wins the next state election, in a promise Infrastructure Victoria expects to cost $9.1-13bn.

In 2015, Premier Daniel Andrews ripped up a contract for the project, which would have connected the Eastern Freeway to CityLink at a cost of $6.8bn at the time, arguing it was a “dud” road.
But the Morrison government promised to fund the project with the private sector should a state government ever wish to build the tunnel, and put $4bn in budget contingencies.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Opposition transport infrastructure spokesman Matt Bach wrote to new federal infrastructure minister Catherine King on Wednesday, seeking to clarify if that money would remain in the budget.

He told the Herald Sun the Morrison government had committed to contribute the entire public funding deemed necessary for an EWL, with the private sector contributing the rest.

“Catherine King was very clear that she would be guided by state governments (on projects to support) and we want to work with her,” he said.

“Infrastructure has been a partisan political issue for too long. This is a vital piece of road infrastructure that Infrastructure Australia lists as a high priority."

An artist impression of the East West Link.

In an interview with the Herald Sun in May, Ms King said an Albanese government would work productively with any state government regardless of its political persuasion.

“If we’re successful on May 21, we’ll work with the Victorian state government,” she said at the time.
“Obviously, our preference is that it stays the way that it is (with a Labor state government), but if that does change then we’ll work with the incoming government.”

Mr Bach said he wanted to “return the hand of bipartisanship”.

Mr Andrews recently said his government would never consider building the project he dumped following the 2014 state election, in a move that wasted $1.2bn already spent.

“Let’s be abundantly clear about this. This project has been to two state elections and I’m very pleased to say it was defeated and our government and its priorities were endorsed,” he said.