Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the very significant infrastructure funding which has been announced for the Corangamite and Geelong regions and which is a game-changing investment for the people I proudly represent. In the budget this week, along with the surplus, we announce add record $100 billion over 10 years for roads and rail projects right across the country in our rural areas and in our cities. This includes $2 billion to finally get fast rail going in this nation from Geelong to Melbourne to deliver a 32-minute journey. As soon as the state government can match this funding—we're calling on the state government to match this funding—and is willing to build this rail line, the money will be there. It is in our budget on page 64 of Budget Paper No. 2, and the reference is from 2021-22: $2 billion for the delivery of fast rail from Melbourne to Geelong to reduce travel times, increase train patronage and ease congestion on the Princes Highway and West Gate Bridge.

We've also delivered $700 million more for the Geelong rail duplication project, a project that I have championed since 2015. In 2016, we delivered $1 million for planning at a time when the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Jacinta Allan, said this was not a priority. In the 2017 budget there was $100 million, in the 2018 budget there was $50 million and now, of course, there is $700 million, bringing it to a total of $850 million for this project. There's also money for a business case to look at the Geelong rail tunnel and additional money left over for provision for future construction works to deliver that dual track that we desperately need to provide more frequent, reliable and faster rail services through Geelong. We know how critical rail infrastructure is.

I want to call out and make this very clear on the record today: Australians do not like lies. I want to call out Bill Shorten's candidate in Corangamite, who said on the—

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