Victorian Agriculture minister Jaala Pulford has renewed calls for the Federal Government to help fund the $416million Murray Basin Rail Project (MBRP).
Ms Pulford said Minister for Agriculture and Regional Development Jaala Pulford said work had begun on installing new sleepers between Maryborough and Mildura.
“The Murray Basin Rail Project will enable primary producers across North Western Victoria to get more produce to port, more efficiently – boosting jobs and the regional economy,” Ms Pulford said.
“The State government has put $220 million towards this project, and is calling again on the Federal Government to pay their fair share. They have had the business case for the project for more than six months and it’s time for them to support farmers, their families and our economy, and commit this vital project.”
She said the MBRP will upgrade and standardise the entire Murray Basin freight network, and mean better connections for primary producers to the State’s major ports in Portland, Geelong and Melbourne.
The broad gauge sleepers being laid in Maryborough would make the main freight line safer and more reliable straight away, and pave the way for the next phase of the project.
“Because the sleepers are wooden, they can be easily converted to standard gauge, which will minimise the time the Mildura line will be closed during Stage Two of the project, when Murray Basin freight network is standardised,” Ms Pulford said.
All-in-all, 100,000 sleepers would be laid between Maryborough and Mildura as part of the MBRP, of which nearly 30,000 have already been installed.
Federal Transport Minister Darren Chester said the Federal government, and National Party, was keen to see the project progress.
“The previous Victorian Coalition Government provided Victoria’s $220m contribution to this project, so it’s a bit rich for Jaala Pulford and Labor to now be taking credit,” Mr Chester said.
“Infrastructure Australia and my department are currently reviewing the Victorian Government’s business case and I am optimistic that we will be in a position to progress the project in the near future.”
