Bill Shorten has today guaranteed that the East West Link would not be built under a state and federal Labor partnership.
This would leave tens of thousands of hardworking residents in Melbourne's eastern and outer eastern suburbs, who drive to the CBD and beyond, stuck in traffic for the next decade.
Time and again Mr Shorten and federal Labor have ignored families who live in suburbs like Mitcham, Ringwood, Croydon, Bayswater, Moroolbark and Lilydale.
This should come as no surprise given Mr Shorten is beholden to Greens preferences in the inner-city.
The East West Link will take thousands of trucks off city streets, ease the pressure on the Monash, end the Hoddle Street and Alexandra Parade bottlenecks, and generate more than 7000 jobs.
But instead of supporting our $3 billion commitment to have the East West Link constructed, Bill Shorten is choosing to put $2 billion into a project that is already fully funded as a favour to his Victorian Labor mates.
Only the Liberals and Nationals support and remain committed to building the East West Link and delivering the essential services that families in Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs need.
Bill Shorten should now come clean on how he will pay for his $2 billion favour and if he will cut funding to other key priorities such as:
- $5 billion for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link;
- $2 billion for Fast Rail from Melbourne to Geelong;
- $2.3 billion for regional rail;
- $1.75 billion for the North-East Link
- $1.1 billion for upgrades to South Eastern and Northern suburban roads in Melbourne;
- $500 million to upgrade the Monash Freeway;
- $500 million to upgrade the M80 Ring Road;
- $475 million for Monash Rail;
- $383 million for Commuter Car Park Upgrades;
- $360 million for the Western Highway duplication between Ballarat and Stawell;
- $300 million to seal roads in the Dandenong Ranges and surrounding regions;
- $225 million for electrification of the Frankston Rail Line to Baxter;
- $208 million for Stage 1 of the Shepparton Bypass on the Goulburn Valley Highway;
- $130 million for the Dorset Road extension and upgrade,
- $110 million for the Wellington Road Duplication; and
- $70 million for the Thompsons Road Extension;
- $70 million to upgrade Racecourse Road in Pakenham;
- $65 million for the Mornington Peninsula Freeway Grade Separation and Duplication to Boneo Road in Rosebud;
- $50 million for the Hume Freeway corridor between Lithgow Street and the M80 Ring Road in Melbourne's north;
- $50 million for the Calder Freeway (Gap Road to the M80 Ring Road);
- $50 million to upgrade Napoleon Road in Rowville;
- $50 million for the Western Freeway from the M80 Ring Road to Ferris Road;
- $40 million for the Clyde Road/ Monash Freeway interchange;
- $30 million for Ballarto Road in Skye;
- $24.5 million for the Canterbury Road upgrade,
- $20 million for the Maroondah Highway in Coldstream;
- $17.8 million for Princes Highway Intersections from Pakenham to Beaconsfield;
- $13 million for McGregor Road in Pakenham;
- $10 million for the Fitzsimons Lane and Main Road corridor in Eltham;
- $9 million for upgrades to Henderson Road in Knoxville;
- $5 million for the Forest Drive and Nepean Highway intersection upgrade in Mount Martha;
- $5 million for the Uralla Road and Nepean Highway intersection upgrade in Mount Martha;
- $5 million for Yarra Boulevard in Kew;
- $5 million to upgrade Murradoc Road in St Leonards;
- $3 million for the Reilly Street and Wantirna Road intersection upgrade in Ringwood;
- $2.5 million for Plymouth Road Improvements in Croydon;
- $1.8 million for the Camberwell Road, Monteath Avenue and Redfern Road intersection upgrade in Camberwell;
- $600,000 for Burwood Road upgrades in Camberwell; and
- $550,000 for the Tortice Drive intersection upgrade in Ringwood North.
