VCCI boss calls on Lord Mayor to pause her pet project Greenline until after council elections in October

Victoria’s top business advocacy group has called on Lord Mayor Sally Capp to pause her $316m Greenline Project until after the election in case a future council decides to scrap it.

The state’s leading business advocacy group has called on Lord Mayor Sally Capp to pause her pet project, the $316m Greenline, until after the election so a future council isn’t saddled with a potential white elephant project.

VCCI chief executive Paul Guerra said major work on the Greenline should not commence this term to reduce the risk to ratepayers if a future council decides to scrap the project.

“The Greenline is probably the most significant investment the City of Melbourne will make and we think it is responsible to pause this project until after the council elections in October,” he said.

“This will allow the a future Lord Mayor and a future council to properly evaluate the Greenline and decide whether they will commit ratepayers to a project that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to deliver.”

An artist’s impression of the Greenline River Park. Picture: Supplied

Mr Guerra said that more independent scrutiny of the project was needed to evaluate whether it was worthwhile.

“We need to see a fully independently verified business case and we need to see exactly where the funding for this project will come from,” he said.

“Will the state government contribute and will the federal government provide more than what they have committed so far?”

The $316m Greenline project includes more than 4km of interconnected paths and walkways and upgraded parks along the north bank of the Yarra.
Major works on the project are expected to start early this year, at Birrarung Marr, but the project has already suffered major delays and is not expected to be completed by 2030 at the earliest.

Canberra has committed $20m, while the Victorian government is yet to indicate if they are willing to financially support Ms Capp’s pet project.

A spokeswoman for the Lord Mayor said she would not pause the project before the election.

PLANNED GREENLINE STAGES

Birrarung Marr – works to start early 2024

Falls Precinct – works to start mid 2027

River Park – works to start early 2026

Maritime Precinct – works to start 2028

Salt Water Wharf Precinct – works to start early 2028

An artist’s impression of the Greenline Salt Water Wharf Precinct. Picture: Supplied

An artist’s impression of Flinders Walk, part of the Greenline Project. Picture: Supplied

The Herald Sun can also reveal the Greenline project only has a “medium” chance of delivering on its projections to increase visits to the Yarra River’s north bank by about 1.1 million.

The business case for the Greenline – released to the Herald Sun through Freedom of Information laws – lists “a lack of tourism infrastructure and facilities along the Yarra River” being established could cause the project to not hit its visitor targets as a medium risk.

The increase in visitor numbers is a key component of the business case’s projects that the Greenline will deliver significant economic benefits to Melbourne.

“Building the Greenline is expected to improve accessibility and social capital along the Yarra River – Birrarung and in the City of Melbourne through the delivery of new commercial businesses, attractions, and new events,” the business case states.

“These improvements and additions are expected to result in a significant uplift in visitation to the area, leading to an increase in visitor spend in the project area.”

It also lists “geotechnical constraints” as a medium risk that could cause certain elements of the project to be dumped, which would also reduce the number of visitors to the north bank of the Yarra River.

An artist’s impression of the Batman Hill Park, part of the Greenline Project in Docklands. Picture: Supplied

An artist’s impression of the Greenline Project at Birrarung Marr. Picture: City of Melbourne

The council refused to comment when asked by the Herald Sun if consultants EY tested the assumptions for visitor increases and economic uplift included in the business case or whether they were simply provided by Town Hall.

It comes as the City of Melbourne are refusing to say if a key council executive who was in charge of delivering the Greenline will return to work on the project as he is currently on a sabbatical to complete further study.

Greenline director Mark Allan is currently on leave and an acting manager for the project is in place just months out from when the council claim construction is set to start on the first stage along Birrarung Marr.

The general manager who was also in charge of delivering the project, Roger Teale, has left the City of Melbourne after being involved in a number of potential conflict of interest claims.