Melbourne Airport rail link
Trung LUU (Western Metropolitan) (19:01): (1489) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, and the action I seek is for the minister to work with her federal counterpart, the federal minister for infrastructure and transport, to prioritise the development of Melbourne Airport rail ahead of Melbourne Airport’s now federally approved third runway and to provide a starting date for the construction of this vitally important project. The time has come for the state government to ramp up its efforts and prioritise the construction of Melbourne Airport rail so that it is ready to go when the Melbourne Airport third runway is fully operational in 2031. It is foreseen that once the third runway is operational, there will be an increase in the number of passengers and airport staff utilising the airport, which will no doubt put considerable pressure on the road network leading to the airport. As anyone who drives along this highway regularly can attest, it is regularly heavily congested, which is incredibly frustrating for motorists. Victorians have been waiting patiently for the Allan government to inform them about when they can expect the Melbourne Airport rail to commence. Once the third runway becomes operational there will be a significant influx in the number of domestic and international passengers visiting our cities, and without the Melbourne Airport rail to alleviate the traffic flow, visitors arriving in Melbourne will see serious congestion, gridlock and poor planning.
I join with Brimbank City Council in my electorate and applaud them for their community movement campaign Rail Before Runway. Their advocacy has been strong and unwavering. I urge the minister in the other place to work with Brimbank City Council and the community to ensure that Melbourne’s west, which I represent, is no longer short-changed in transport infrastructure initiatives and to help them and the region keep up with the rapid population growth. Melbourne Airport rail makes sense. It is a project that will deliver a real cost-effective public transport alternative for Melbourne and the wider Victorian community. Every major city in the world has an airport rail, but not in Melbourne. Let us get on and build the airport rail. Time is ticking.