Victorian taxpayers are still no closer to finding out the total cost of an orbital train network, with Premier Jacinta Allan refusing to put a price tag on the entire Suburban Rail Loop project.
Ms Allan was grilled on the investment needed for the 90km rail line from Cheltenham around the city to Werribee during a radio interview on Monday.
The project includes east, north and west components, with a $3.6 billion tunnelling contract so far only awarded for the first stage which is SRL East.
The Suburban Rail Loop was estimated to price in at $50 billion when floated in 2018, but a cost blowout was identified through Parliamentary Budget Office analysis.
The PBO in 2022 determined that by 2084–85 the cost to build and operate the east and north sections would be $200 billion, including asset expenses of $125 billion.
Then opposition leader Matthew Guy had sought the analysis just months out from that year’s state election.
Quizzed by 3AW mornings host Tom Elliott on “how much will the whole thing cost?”, Ms Allan would only confirm the estimated investment needed for SRL East.
“Well we do know the first stage, the Suburban Rail Loop East between Cheltenham and Box Hill – and a project of this size does need to be staged out – will require an investment of between $30 and $35 billion,” Ms Allan said.
Elliott and Ms Allan later went back-and-forth over the costings, with the radio host again asking “Do we have a figure for the whole project. Is it $200 billion?”.
“No, well that figure, look we’re getting back into some of the politics of the election,” Ms Allan replied.
When Elliott sought to clear up “the correct figure”, Ms Allan said “the correct figure is between $30 and $35 billion for the Suburban Rail Loop East”.
Further pressed to put a figure on the entire project, the Premier would only say: “We’ve laid out the plan for the entire project”.
“A future government will have to make the decision on whether they continue to proceed beyond Box Hill,” Ms Allan continued.
“We knew we had to get this project started. We simply couldn’t afford not to.
“And if you look at also… the issue of not just jobs and services but we also know that around key train station precincts it’s an opportunity to build more homes, closer to better public transport options.”
(SKY NEWS)
