Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. She's a fine representative of the south-eastern suburbs of Victoria. I know that she, like many Victorians, is a very keen supporter of the Suburban Rail Loop. On this side of the House, we've long been supporters of the Suburban Rail Loop. We know that planning for our medium- to long-term future requires vision, dedication and a commitment to work cooperatively with states and territories.

The Suburban Rail Loop will be truly transformational to the state of Victoria. The first section—Suburban Rail Loop East—is a project that delivers twin tunnels with six underground stations at Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Burwood, Glen Waverley and Box Hill. It's due to open in 2035, and it will open up access to key education, health and employment centres in Melbourne's east and south-east. The benefit will also go people in the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland, who will be able to access Monash University, the newly opened Victorian Heart Hospital and Monash Children's Hospital, all without needing to head into the centre of Melbourne, saving them an hour on public transport for that trip. It's a project that will relieve pressure on our roads as well as reduce congestion and travel times across our suburbs.

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