Victorian Liberal Party Call For $4b Federal Cash Splash To Reinstate Scrapped East West Link Project If Elected

The state Liberal party is calling on the Federal government to guarantee funds to build the new road tunnel in Melbourne if elected in November.

State opposition leader Matthew Guy has promised to bring back the East West Link (EWL) project if he wins the next state election.

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According to the Herald Sun, the shadow transport infrastructure spokesman Matt Bach has written to new federal infrastructure minister Catherine King, asking if the Morrison governments $4 billion in budget contingencies would remain in the budget.

Mr Bach said the recently ousted Morrison government had previously committed to backing public funding deemed necessary for an EWL, with the private sector forking out the rest.

“Catherine King was very clear that she would be guided by state governments (on projects to support) and we want to work with her,” he said.

“Infrastructure has been a partisan political issue for too long. This is a vital piece of road infrastructure that Infrastructure Australia lists as a high priority."

- Mr Bach

Estimated by Infrastructure Victoria to cost between $9.1 billion and $13 billion, in 2015 Premier Daniel Andrews argued it was a "dud" road and ruled out ever building the EWL, which would have connected the Eastern Freeway to CityLink.

“There’s a locked box, a dog box, whatever it is. I don’t know if there’s any money in there. I really don’t,” Andrews said.

Before the Federal election, Mr Andrews said under his leadership, the 18-kilometre East West Link connection road would not be built.

“Let’s be abundantly clear about this. This project has been to two state elections and I’m very pleased to say it was defeated and our government and its priorities were endorsed,” he reinstated.

“I’m not about building the things Victorians didn’t vote for.”

- Premier Andrews

The Andrews government, instead want to see Federal Investment into the Suburban Rail Loop and the North East Link.

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