Victoria - Budget 2017-18

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Small items reveal big plans for busiest roads and stations

It's often the smallest line items in the budget that are the most revealing about the government's aspirations for projects it likes but which are still a bit too underdone to merit commitment.

This year's budget contains $4 million for "stage 2" of the widening of Melbourne's busiest road, the Monash Freeway, which is already being widened between EastLink and Clyde Road in Berwick as part of a $5.5 billion public-private partnership with Transurban.

The upgrade of the Monash has been a source of bickering between the Andrews and Turnbull governments as they have sought to strike a deal over how to spend the $3 billion committed to the cancelled East West Link.

More than half of the $4 million is federal money, and will be used to "develop a business case" for the use of some of that East West Link money to further widen the Monash Freeway, perhaps to the new housing estates of Pakenham on Melbourne's south-eastern fringe.

As Victoria's freeways are upgraded in years ahead, motorists can also expect to see more advertising billboards on them to help pay for the works. VicRoads will make $2 million a year over the next four years through "new opportunities for outdoor billboard advertising along freeway corridor road reserves".

There are also early plans to expand the capacity of three of Melbourne's busiest railway stations, with $8.7 million committed over the next two years to improve passenger flow and amenity at Flinders Street Station, Southern Cross Station and Richmond station.

There is $5 million to assess the best way to duplicate single-track sections of the busy Hurstbridge line towards Eltham, a continuation of the line's current upgrade between Heidelberg and Rosanna.

And there is the tiny sum of $2.6 million to begin planning for a bypass of Shepparton in north central Victoria, which has long lobbied for a bypass to remove hundreds of trucks a day from its main street.

There is no money in the budget to begin major construction of the Kilmore-Wallan bypass, which has been planned for the better part of 10 years and was pledged by both sides of politics at last year's election. 

Elsewhere, the budget contains few surprises for users of Victoria's roads and public transport, with most funding going to the continuation and completion of previously confirmed projects.

The North East Link, often called the "missing link" in Melbourne's ring road, gets $100 million for initial planning. The M80 ring road, between Laverton and Greensborough will be widened from end to end by 2021, at a cost of $673 million. The federal government will cover half of the cost. 

Malcolm Turnbull will also have to compromise if the budget's public transport centrepiece, a $1.45 billion regional rail revival that targets most of the V/Line system, goes ahead.

To pay for it, the Andrews government is banking on money it says it is owed from the federal asset recycling fund for privatising the Port of Melbourne.

A further $193 million has been invested in making permanent the Night Network, 24-hour public transport on Fridays and Saturdays.

There is $311 million for 39 new V/Line carriages and $218 million for 10 new E-Class trams, both of which are needed to handle huge passenger growth.

[ozbob]

Roads. Public transport. Schools. Hospitals. A safer Victoria.

It's a lot to cram into a 2-minute video, but I gave it a crack. #VicBudget pic.twitter.com/AFbRnfqre8

— Daniel Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) May 2, 2017

[ozbob]

3 AW --> Details of the 2017-18 State Budget have been released

[ozbob]

Here's your five minute guide to the Victorian State Budget. https://t.co/g2pVq1n2Pc pic.twitter.com/SEUJpeEtW3

— Herald Sun (@theheraldsun) May 2, 2017

[ozbob]

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/a-responsible-and-fair-budget-that-delivers-what-matters/

A responsible and fair budget that delivers what matters

Treasurer 2 May 2017

The Andrews Labor Government is continuing its record of responsible financial management, with the Victorian Budget 2017/18 confirming strong surpluses and continued jobs growth over the next four years, while delivering the services and projects that really matter.

The Budget builds on the solid foundations of the last two and a half years and reinforces the Labor Government's sound economic management, delivering an estimated surplus of $1.2 billion in 2017/18, with estimated surpluses averaging $2.4 billion over the forward estimates.

Victoria will remain the nation's economic engine room with the economy forecast to grow by 2.75 per cent in 2017-18, consolidating the exceptionally strong growth of recent years.

For the first time in a decade, Victoria's Gross State Product has remained consistently above Australian GDP, and has continued to accelerate since Labor took office in 2014.

Net debt is projected to remain at or below 6 per cent over the next four years, lower than we inherited from the previous Government and consistent with our envied triple-A credit rating.

Victoria is once again the jobs capital of Australia – with the strongest annual jobs growth in Australia at
3.2 per cent.

More than 200,000 jobs – or over 250 every single day – have been created in Victoria since the Andrews Labor Government was elected in November 2014, and in the past year, more jobs have been created in Victoria than the rest of the nation combined.

This is in stark contrast to the record under the previous Liberal Government, when Victoria's unemployment rate hit almost 7 per cent – one of the highest on the mainland.

In the last two years, more than 50 000 jobs have been created from our record investment in infrastructure alone.

The Government is getting on with the job, investing more than $10 billion in 2017/18 and an average of $9.6 billion per year over the next four years into the projects our cities, towns and communities need.

This Budget capitalises on our robust economic credentials and delivers on the things that really matter to every Victorian, wherever they live.

Quotes attributable to the Treasurer, Tim Pallas

"This Budget gets on with the job – consolidating our success, and securing our future."

"Our sound economic management has maintained our triple-A credentials and made Victoria the powerhouse of the nation – with more than 216,000 jobs created since Labor was elected."

"It's a responsible budget, a fair budget, and a budget that delivers on the things that really matter for all Victorians."

[ozbob]

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/labor-governments-regional-rail-revival-continues/

Labor government's Regional Rail Revival continues

Minister for Public Transport 2 May 2017

The Andrews Labor Government is continuing its record investment in regional public transport to create jobs, connect communities, and deliver public transport that Victorians can count on, wherever they live.

The Victorian Budget 2017/18 builds on a record investment in regional rail last year, and includes the $1.45 billion Regional Rail Revival package of major upgrades across regional Victoria and more than 1 000 jobs.

The Labor Government's Regional Rail Revival package includes the $435 million Gippsland Line Upgrade, which will create a more frequent and reliable Gippsland Line and create hundreds of new jobs.

To get started on regional Victoria's next rail line, $110 million will kick-start the new Surf Coast Rail Upgrade, including work towards track duplication at Waurn Ponds, and reserving land for a new spur line to Torquay.

The Warrnambool Line will benefit from $100 million in upgrades to run more services, and $91 million will benefit passengers in Bendigo and Echuca with faster trains, an extra daily service to Echuca, and delivery of Bendigo Metro Stage 2.

More upgrades will also take place on the Ballarat Line to Ararat, the Avon River Bridge on the Gippsland Line, and the North East Line, where we will start work to run new trains.

This massive package on major lines across Victoria will be funded from Victoria's full $1.46 billion entitlement under the agreement on Asset Recycling signed by the Commonwealth Government in 2014.

On top of the Regional Rail Revival package, $43.5 million in this year's Budget will build new stabling and an extra passing loop to run more trains to Shepparton from 2020, and run extra coach services in the meantime.

To give regional Victoria the best trains, the Budget provides $311.1 million for 39 new VLocity carriages, building on the 48 we've already funded – all of them built in Victoria. This investment will also fund a major re-design of VLocity trains, to enable them to run on long-haul services, including on the North East Line.

The Budget includes $12.5 million to refurbish V/Line's classic train fleet, to ensure they remain safe, reliable and comfortable for passengers.

To improve reliability of the whole network, $316.4 million will go to replacing sleepers, fixing tracks and delivering the nuts-and-bolts work needed to keep the system working properly.

Almost $10 million will fund the package of level crossing upgrades already underway on the Warrnambool Line to boost safety and restore services to timetable following the horror crash at Pirron Yallock in July last year.

The Budget will also boost bus services in regional Victoria and fund more than 100 new car parks and a new bus interchange as part of the Ballarat Station Precinct upgrade.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan

"This huge public transport Budget continues our revival of Victoria's regional rail network."

"We're rebuilding the V/Line network after years of cuts and neglect from the former Liberal and National Government."

"Labor is getting on with the job of delivering public transport you can count on, wherever you live."

[#Metro]

Daniel Andrews is pretty good.

He seems to be more focused on results (i.e. privatise port to release $$ for level crossing removal and Melbourne metro) than

process . Queensland Government seems to be stuck in process (stuck doing and redoing business cases, making video animators rich etc).

Regional Rail in Victoria is very good. Trains can reach 160 km/hr on parts of the network. Rail network is extensive and being upgraded continually.

Only place where I would mark down is rail network maintenance. There is a lot of ancient stuff on the network AFAIK.

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Victorian state budget 2017-18: The winners and losers