Tuesday, 18 February 2025

Suburban Rail Loop

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:16): (799) My question is to the Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop. Minister, federal infrastructure minister Catherine King said that there were still hurdles for additional Commonwealth contributions to the Suburban Rail Loop East:

Particularly, the costing around value capture, before the Commonwealth can make another investment.

What were the issues that the Commonwealth identified with your value capture model?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:17): Thank you, Mr Mulholland. It is a good opportunity for me in answering this question to perhaps address a number of the challenges that your current leader has in understanding the release of the funding from the Commonwealth last week, that $2.2 billion that was allocated following receipt of an Infrastructure Australia report on what this release of funding can do. When we talk about additional components of work that need to be done, that is beyond the work that was announced last week by Minister King, which sits very squarely within the election promise that was made by the Albanese government to fund $2.2 billion to deliver a project which the Prime Minister, the infrastructure minister, the Premier and this government have time and time again underscored as the most significant infrastructure project we have to deliver housing and connection and to alleviate some of the issues, Mr Mulholland, that you have spoken about at length in terms of congestion, the challenges to livability, the time that people are spending in traffic and people’s desire to live closer to where they grew up.

If you had listened carefully to the comments that were made by Minister King and to the work that I have set out very clearly in this chamber and that has been discussed elsewhere, you would know that the $2.2 billion is being set aside very clearly per the Infrastructure Australia decision and advice for the purpose of further geotechnical work, early site acquisition work and voluntary purchase.

Evan Mulholland: On a point of order, President, on relevance, I asked what issues the Commonwealth identified with the value capture model, and I am yet to hear it.

The PRESIDENT: I believe the minister was being relevant. I thought she was getting to the crux of the answer just before you called the point of order.

Harriet SHING: With the 1 minute and 28 seconds that I have remaining for the question itself, I just want to make it clear that the work that we have been doing with the Commonwealth includes a discussion around value capture, around a funding and finance strategy and on further work to make sure that, with the developers and industry that benefit from the investment that is delivered across SRL to catalyse housing and to make sure that we have precincts developed and planning that occurs hand in glove with partnerships and communities, that is actually something that they make a contribution to. This is something that I will continue to work on.

Mr Mulholland, if you are saying that this is not a model that you support, then you need to stand up and say that you do not intend to deliver on the Suburban Rail Loop. We will continue, as I have indicated on a number of occasions, to work with Infrastructure Australia, to have discussions through DTP, to continue to talk with infrastructure minister Catherine King and to continue to work on what these opportunities mean for Victorians. Again, Mr Mulholland, this is your part of the world. You would understand full well from people’s concerns and priorities as they have articulated them that congestion – the challenges around being able to move around and live closer to where you work, closer to health services, early child care, public transport and open space – is one of the things driving this. We intend to continue the work to deliver it.

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:20): On a supplementary, when does the government expect the entirety of the value capture taxes to be collected to fund one-third of the SRL East?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:21): Thank you, Mr Mulholland. We are working on a value capture model that ensures that we can have delivery of investment from development and from industry as we work toward the first trains being able to run between Cheltenham and Box Hill by 2035. We want to make sure that as we deliver this 26-kilometre dual-tunnel project we are working to catalyse the value capture that exists there. I will continue to work alongside Infrastructure Australia. I will continue to work alongside the developers and industry to make sure that as we realise precinct, planning and development opportunities we are working alongside industry to deliver that value capture.

Evan Mulholland: On a point of order, President, I asked when the government expects the entirety of the value capture taxes to be collected to fund the SRL East. I still have not heard that.

The PRESIDENT: The minister is to continue her answer.

Harriet SHING: I will continue to work progressively and collaboratively not just with the Commonwealth but with industry and developers. The question, Mr Mulholland, is: what will you do? Will you scrap this project? Because that is certainly what your leader appears to be saying.

David Davis: President, my point of order is that the minister should answer the question rather than attack the opposition.

The PRESIDENT: The minister has completed her answer.