By Prealene Khera
The Coalition, together with its state counterpart, has vowed to prioritise the Melbourne Airport Rail Link project by injecting a further $1.5 billion towards its development if it wins the May 3 election.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has made an election campaign pledge to boost federal funding for the airport rail to $6.5 billion — which is half of the estimated $13 billion cost of the project.
However, this pledge is contingent on the state Liberals taking office in November 2026, after Mr Dutton said the Commonwealth contribution would be matched by a future Victorian Liberal government.
This additional investment into the project is also slated to come from the axing of the federal government’s $2.2 billion commitment to the Suburban Rail Loop.
The suburban loop is a major 90 km orbital rail project running from Melbourne’s southeast to the outer west via the Tullamarine airport, with the first stage due to open in 2035.
Referring to the reshuffling of priorities, a joint statement issued by Mr Dutton and shadow infrastructure minister Bridget McKenzie said the airport rail link is a long overdue piece of transport infrastructure vital to the future growth of Melbourne, and “a coalition government at both levels of representation will make it a reality”.
The election promise comes amid Brimbank council’s ongoing ‘Rail before Runway’ campaign, pushing both the federal and state governments to build the long-promised airport rail before the third runway.
Brimbank mayor Thuy Dang welcomed the pledge.
“Peter Dutton’s announcement of support for the Melbourne Airport Rail reflects the importance of this project for the nation,” she said.
“This bi-partisan support is what the west needs to assure us that Melbourne Airport Rail will be delivered regardless of who wins the election.”
However, council also wants upgrades to Sunshine Station delivered.
Mr Dutton’s announcement includes plans to strip away the $2 billion allocated for the station recently by the federal Labor government to transform the station into a transport hub with extra platforms and a dedicated spur line allowing regional rail services to connect to Melbourne Airport.
“The Melbourne Airport Rail, the transformation of Sunshine Station into a superhub and the implementation of the Sunshine Station Precinct Masterplan, are interdependent projects…” Cr Dang said.
“These intertwined projects are urgently needed to support the economic growth, housing needs and development of Melbourne’s western region.”
In their joint statement, Mr Dutton and Ms McKenzie said “Delivering Melbourne Airport Rail Link is our first priority. Upgrades at Sunshine Station providing connectivity for regional and suburban passengers to the airport, as outlined in the Melbourne Airport Rail Business Case, will also be delivered within the scope of the additional $3 billion joint commitment with the Victorian opposition.“
– with AAP
