Suburban Rail Loop requires more evidence before spending can resume.

ABC NEWS (Australia)

An audit into the suburban rail loop has found critical information is still needed before the federal government can spend any money on it. Experts say it raises more questions about whether the mega project, stacks up.

Transcript

00:00It's an issue hard to ignore. The first stage of the suburban rail loop is estimated to

00:07cost more than $34 billion.

00:10Faster and more convenient travel for all Victorians.

00:14But there's little detail.

00:16Do you really want to sink a generation's worth of infrastructure spending on this project

00:21that we don't know that much about?

00:23The Federal Government has committed $2.2 billion to the proposal.

00:27You must be so proud.

00:30But a newly released audit into that commitment has found that the Commonwealth won't hand

00:34over the cash until the Victorian Government provides more information on the SRL's viability.

00:41They want a project proposal report and those aren't forthcoming.

00:45We're awaiting the project valuation report from the State Government and we'll make those

00:51investment decisions from there.

00:53But as far as the Victorian Government's concerned, it's full steam ahead.

00:57We have a commitment by the Federal Government for $2.2 billion.

01:01We are working on that basis.

01:04The Victorian Government has until the end of the year to provide Canberra with the information

01:08it needs.

01:09But new research commissioned by the Property Council has revealed that voters are unenthusiastic

01:15about the suburban rail loop and their primary concern is housing affordability.

01:20From the research we've done, the suburban rail loop is a nice-to-have but not a must-have.

01:25We have called for these major projects to be reviewed and the timing to be reconsidered.

01:32What I would say to that is that the SRL is itself the nation's biggest housing project.

01:38A project continuing to divide opinion.

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