THE Federal Government has finally agreed to funding the much-anticipated freight rail upgrade across north-west Victoria.
In a dual announcement, the Federal Government committed to injecting $565 million into the state’s rural transport infrastructure.
Flanked by Victorian federal Liberal MPs, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull appeared in Melbourne on Friday morning to announce a new $1.5 billion infrastructure package for the state.
The announcement came just days after Morgan polls revealed the Liberals had lost ground on the Opposition, falling to 45 per cent in a two-party preferred basis across the state just three months out from a proposed date for the federal election.
The package included a commitment to match the Victorian Government’s $220 million contribution for the Murray Basin Rail Project and a $345 million cash injection to upgrade rural and regional roads in the state.
It takes funds for the rail project — which will see freight lines from Geelong to Mildura, Manangatang, Sea Lake and Murrayville upgraded from broad gauge to standard gauge capabilities — beyond its estimated cost of $416 million.
For more on this story pick up a copy of Monday’s Guardian (April 10, 2016).
