Industry forms an orderly queue

VICTORIA’S business groups are now queuing to talk to Daniel Andrews about his government’s intentions.

THE premier-elect Daniel Andrews said in his victory speech: “There are some that wanted (the election) to be all about unions and workers, and that is exactly what it was.”

Victoria’s business groups are now queuing to talk to Mr Andrews about his government’s intentions.

Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Mark Stone said Labor had “very, very strong relations with VECCI”.

“I believe they will be very even-handed in working with both business and employees.”

He said the chamber, which strongly backed the East West Link Labor has rejected, would sit down with the government to examine infrastructure options.

For instance, he said, “they might start building it in the west, not in the east”. “We’ll give them some breathing space,” he said.

East West Connect communications manager Robert Larocca said the government was the consortium’s client, and “all we can really do is have the conversation they have said they are going to have”.

The Australian Industry Group’s Victorian director Tim Piper said “we would hope the government would consider the long-term economic consequences of pulling the pin on (the link), and the potential short-term costs of litigation.”

Committee for Melbourne chief executive Kate Roffey said if the link contract were to be abandoned, it would raise concerns for other companies considering major tenders.

Rod Eddington, the chairman of JP Morgan Australia and New Zealand, also suggested work on the East West Link from the west, at the river crossing and the port

He said “Melbourne has it in its DNA to become the Boston of Australia”, an education hub, and it was vital to invest in infrastructure, “both hard and soft”.