Political squabbling continues to delay the “well overdue” Geelong rail duplication, according to a public transport advocate who for years has campaigned for the upgrade.
“It’s about time that the political games stopped and the project, which everybody furiously agrees is a priority, got underway,” Public Transport Users Association Geelong convener Paul Westcott said.
His call came as South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman pressured federal government to bring forward funding by announcing state government had submitted its project proposal report.
“It’s impossible to work out if the federal government has not put up the funding or the state government has not provided enough information,” Mr Westcott said.
“It’s impossible to unravel because each side is blaming the other.”
The duplication will increase services on the line amid council estimates Geelong’s population will grow to 500,000 by 2050.
After years of political wrangling, federal government has committed $850 million to the project while state government has contributed $147 million.
State government has previously maintained the Commonwealth owed Victoria money through its Asset Recycling Initiative for the duplication.
Mr Cheeseman last Friday accused federal government of providing “only a portion” of its promised funding while announcing state government’s submission of the report.
“The ball is firmly placed in the federal government’s court for consideration and agreement,” he said.
“Contrary to claims made by some, the state government has been working hard to finalise the planning of this complex project.”
But federal senator Sarah Henderson accused state government of “sitting on its hands”.
“It is inexcusable that it took Labor more than two years just to complete a business plan,” she said.
But she welcomed state government “finally getting on with stage 2” of the duplication, with construction beginning on a second platform at Waurn Ponds this month.
The Commonwealth called for applications to fast-track federal infrastructure funding last August but state government failed to nominate the duplication, Senator Henderson said.
Mr Cheeseman’s “poor” advocating for better rail services was “incredibly disappointing” given federal government was funding “80 per cent” of the duplication, she said.
Mr Westcott welcomed work on the second platform but said, “that’s only a very small part of the overall project.”
