Victoria’s most critical road infrastructure challenges revealed

PREMIER Daniel Andrews has slammed the nation’s independent road and rail advisers after its latest report put the controversial East West Link back on Victoria’s political agenda.

PREMIER Daniel Andrews has slammed the nation’s independent road and rail advisers after its latest report renewed a push for the controversial East West Link.

The Infrastructure Australia report found the missing link between the Eastern Freeway and

CityLink was one of the state’s three most critical infrastructure challenges.

But Mr Andrews said he found “it a little hard to take them particularly seriously”.

He pointed out the coincidence that Infrastructure Australia was based out of Sydney, where the Prime Minister resides.

WARNING ON TUNNEL VISION COSTS

Eastern Freeway traffic snarls during the morning peak hour. Picture: Nicole Garmston

He said Victoria was tipped to receive support for 13 projects, compared to NSW’s 33.

“An agency I think based out of Sydney is it?” Mr Andrews said.

“That reports to a Prime Minister very much based out of Sydney.

“Infrastructure Victoria, on the other hand which does understand Victoria having been created by the Victorian government, living and working in our state, they have very different views.”

Infrastructure Australia’s latest list of national priority projects, to be released today, thrusts the East West Link back on the political agenda ahead of November’s state election.

The Andrews Government, which wasted $1.2 billion scrapping the project, is now being urged to develop a plan to revive it in order to address worsening congestion in Melbourne’s inner north.

Infrastructure Australia says delays just in that corridor could cost $144 million by 2031 and that the government’s preferred West Gate Tunnel will not completely solve the traffic woes.

The priority list also identifies the need for a package of major rail upgrades over the next decade, including another tunnel under the CBD which would likely run from Clifton Hill to Fishermans Bend and Newport.

Infrastructure Australia chair Julieanne Alroe said “integrated planning” was needed on the second Metro Tunnel, as she called on the state government to begin work now instead of waiting for the current tunnel project to be finished in 2026.

The Outer Metropolitan Ring Road — a 12-lane super-highway around Melbourne’s outskirts — is nominated as the state’s other top infrastructure priority.

web Mel Infrastructure 650 488

Infrastructure Australia says the government needs to start buying up land required for the road over the next five years, at an estimated cost of $6.4 billion.

The priority list also includes a string of other initiatives, such as a public transport link to Melbourne Airport and the construction of a third runway, plus the North East Link and further level crossing removals.

LIBERALS LOCK IN EAST WEST LINK PROJECT

EAST WEST HOMES SOLD FOR $55M

Infrastructure Australia chief Philip Davies said a public transport connection to Fishermans Bend was added to the list, to better service “the nation’s largest urban renewal project” that is expected to be home to 80,000 people by 2051.

“Increasing public transport capacity to the area would address a significant emerging capacity shortfall and enable full development of the site,” he said.

Mr Davies also talked up the need for an improved rail line to Geelong.

[e-mail]

@tminear