2016-11-24
Constituent question: My question is for the Minister for Ports, and it is in relation to the port rail shuttle, which is a crucial infrastructure project which could take 3500 trucks off local Yarraville streets each day by creating a link between the port of Melbourne and three inland ports: Somerton, Altona and Lyndhurst. This $58 million rail link would go a long way towards alleviating the truck problem in Melbourne's inner west, and residents are desperate to see the construction begin as soon as possible. This project is funded, but for reasons beyond my understanding the Andrews government put it on ice while the lease of the port of Melbourne was being negotiated. Now that the port has been leased — and I do understand that as part of that lease the new lessees do not have to do this project, and I do not understand why that is so — when will the government actually step up, use the money that has already been allocated and go ahead with this project?