31/03/2015
“Ideology doesn’t get much done … outcomes are what matter,” he said.
“That’s why, as a leader of a modern Labor party, I was able to announce – 18 months before Victorians voted – the bold plan to sell a long-term lease to the Port of Melbourne.
“There’s no need for us to have all of this money locked up (and) unable to be put to good use.”
South-east rail infrastructure
“I’ve just returned from the south-eastern suburbs where we announced what will finish up being somewhere between $2.5 billion and $3.5 billion worth of investment,” Mr Andrews said.
“(This is) one of the biggest public transport improvement projects the State has ever seen.”
Mr Andrews said the Government is ordering 37 new train sets for the Dandenong-Pakenham-Cranbourne line.
“These are higher-capacity train sets,” he said.
“These are very important in terms of carrying more passengers and making sure that we’ve got the best rolling stock, the most contemporary design, the best product to move the largest number of people.
“There are nine level crossings … on the Dandenong-Pakenham-Cranbourne line – all of them will go.
“Both the rolling stock order and the removal of those level crossings, both those packages of works will go to the market in coming weeks.”
Mr Andrews said there will also be a power upgrade, a conventional signalling upgrade and a new depot to be built in Pakenham.
For the rail and rolling stock projects, Mr Andrews said there would be no less than 50 per cent local content used on the build, and maintenance performed over the life of these assets are to be performed locally.
“This is thousands of new jobs, hundreds of current jobs in the rolling stock sector, essentially protected.”
He said the investment will deliver 42 per cent more passenger capacity in the morning peak.
“That’s 1000 more passengers moving through that rail corridor every morning,” he said.
“This is but one part of a broader rolling stock strategy that we will announce as part of the budget in just a few weeks’ time.”
Melbourne Metro Rail Project
“Melbourne Metro Rail … is a truly transformational investment,” Mr Andrews said.
“This is about delivering nine kilometres of track, five underground stations (and) 20-plus thousand additional passengers being able to move throughout the system.”
Mr Andrews said that the network will also remove the choke point that’s at the centre of Melbourne’s current city loop.
“It’s about essentially being able to throw away the timetable, get the train you need, confident that it’ll be there in just a few moments.
“We need a world class public transport system like Tokyo, London, New York, Paris, and that’s exactly what Melbourne Metro does.”
East West Link
“We will not be changing the position we took to the Victorian community,” Mr Andrews said.
“The Victorian community have made their choice and we will honour that choice by honouring our promises – and that is not to proceed with an infrastructure project that for every dollar you invest gives you 45 cents back, that is not to proceed with a project that really has a very questionable framework around the propriety and the probity of its business case development, and it is not to proceed with a project that was signed up to literally five minutes before Victorians voted.
“We want an equitable outcome, one where costs incurred are appropriately refunded.”