Wednesday, 14 August 2024

 Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC) (14:30): I rise to update the house on the projects Victorians have overwhelmingly voted for and are being delivered by the Allan Labor government. Whether it is removing dangerous and congested level crossings or getting trucks off local roads, our government is getting on and delivering the projects that Victorians have overwhelmingly voted for. At the 2014 election, we said we were going to remove 50 level crossings as a bold policy statement. While those opposite said it could never be done, we have now removed 84 level crossings. And we know what those opposite think about the removal of level crossings: they are more worried about the impact that level crossing removals will have on a goldfish in Bayswater than about getting on and removing these projects.

We do not shy away from doing the hard work. Next year we will have both the Metro Tunnel and the West Gate Tunnel programs. These are going to be projects that are going to be absolute game changers for the western suburbs. They will connect commuters to more jobs, education and healthcare services. We are also getting on and building the missing link in our freeway network with the North East Link. This is a project that has been talked about for years – for decades. It was a dotted line on the map when Henry Bolte was Premier, and it is going to be delivered by the Allan Labor government. This is going to be huge for the north-east. It is going to remove 18 sets of lights, and it is going to get 15,000 trucks off local roads. It is going to be the biggest thing to happen at Bulleen since the member for Bulleen delivered two concession statements at the Veneto Club. It is going to be that big.

And we are getting on and delivering the Suburban Rail Loop, a project that will deliver new stations at Monash and Deakin. It will mean there will be 70,000 new homes and 230,000 jobs right across six precincts. This is going to be huge for Melbourne, and it is going to mean that we can build the infrastructure to deal with the growth we will be encountering when we are the size of London by 2050. Those opposite only have criticisms for every single one of these projects. Those opposite want to cut. They want to cancel. They will close. If you are against the SRL, you are against jobs. You are going to put 4000 Victorian workers on the scrap heap at the next election.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the Leader of the Opposition for his question, I acknowledge in the gallery a delegation from the national Diet of Japan, including members Hisayuki Fujii, Kentaro Gemma and Yoshihiro Kawano. Welcome.