Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I'll start by thanking the member for Gellibrand for putting this motion before the House. It gives an opportunity to a number of members of the House to talk about the critical issue of infrastructure, particularly in Melbourne's south-west and through to Geelong. The livability of Geelong is increasingly becoming one of the most important economic pillars of our region. Our north-facing bay, our raised peninsula and our proximity to the Surf Coast, all within a manageable distance of the Melbourne CBD, make Geelong a fantastic place to live. Thousands of people who currently live in Melbourne are making the decision to live in Geelong while still pursuing their employment in the greater Port Phillip Bay area. But, to make that proposition work, the link—the rail link and the transport links—between Geelong and Melbourne must be first-rate.

I was very pleased to be a part of the former Rudd-Gillard government which put in place the Regional Rail Link, and we were joined earlier by the member for Grayndler, who championed that. It was a $3.2 billion infrastructure development which preceded rather than followed urban development. In terms of the link between Geelong and Melbourne, it has been a game changer that has seen much greater frequency of travel and trains on that route.

In the last few weeks the Andrews state Labor government has put forward $50 million to look at the development of a fast rail link between Geelong and Melbourne. This would be utilising trains which would travel between 250 and 300 kilometres an hour. That would be transformative. It would see a trip from Geelong to Melbourne being done in under 40 minutes—faster, it turns out, than a helicopter. This would be a great moment in the history of Geelong's relationship with Melbourne, and it would be a critical boost to our economic growth.

Last month was a significant moment in the Turnbull government's governing of our nation. In announcing a $5 billion commitment—albeit off the books—to a rail link between the city and Tullamarine, it appeared that for the first time they had discovered that there was human habitation south of the Murray. Up until that point in time, the Turnbull government had committed just nine per cent of Australia's infrastructure funding to the state of Victoria, which was an absolute disgrace.

What is now being proposed is four options for a rail link between the city of Melbourne and Tullamarine. The decision that is made in respect of which of those routes is taken is absolutely critical. There is the very expensive tunnel route, which seems to be preferred by the government, based, it would appear, in part on their desire to have this funding off the budget, meaning they imagine there will be a revenue stream associated with this infrastructure build which will be worth more than the infrastructure build itself. It would seem that profits are driving this decision rather than community infrastructure.

The alternative is the route through Sunshine. The route through Sunshine is a cheaper route but will connect the link between the city and Tullamarine with the existing rail links that are being developed around Victoria, including the Regional Rail Link from Geelong to Melbourne and what in the future would be the fast rail link between Geelong and Melbourne. In other words, if we are to see a fast rail link between Geelong and Melbourne, the Sunshine route must be chosen as the preferred option for the development of the rail link between the city and Tullamarine airport. It will also then enable a much faster link between Geelong and Tullamarine.

There is a clear choice in terms of what is best for Geelong in those routes. The state government have made that choice very clear. They are saying their preferred option is the Sunshine route. Right now, we actually need to see a decision made and a preference expressed by this government. The member for Corangamite, who has just joined us, is a key player in that, as she represents, as a member of the government in this place, the interests of Geelong within the government. It is absolutely critical for the member for Corangamite to make it completely clear that she supports the Sunshine route as distinct from any of the other routes that are possible, because if the member for Corangamite does not make that clear then she will have sold Geelong out, and it's absolutely essential that the Turnbull government make that clear in this build.

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