Victorian premier Ben Carroll pushes ahead with SRL spend despite hinting at pause
Summary
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has decided to continue building the first stage of the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) but will reduce its total cost by about 6%. He plans to cut $1 billion from the current project scope and order a technical review to find another $1 billion in savings while continuing existing work.Key Facts
- The first stage of the Suburban Rail Loop is called SRL East, covering a 26km tunnel from Cheltenham to Box Hill.
- Carroll announced changes to save about $1 billion and will order a review to find an additional $1 billion in savings.
- Current construction contracts will remain active, with tunnelling between Burwood and Glen Waverley starting soon.
- Total SRL East cost is expected to drop from $34.5 billion to about $32.3 billion, a 6% reduction.
- The Suburban Rail Loop Authority will merge with the Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority.
- Some planned features, like underground stations and pedestrian bridges, will be cut to save money.
- Funding comes from the state government ($11.8 billion) and the federal government ($6 billion).
- The state opposition plans to pause and review the project if elected in November.
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