By Corey Everitt
Eastern Victoria MP Renee Heath has called on the State Government to release the budget of Pakenham’s extensive level crossing removal projects, suggesting they may have been blown out.
Ms Heath has called for transparency for Pakenham locals on the costings of the projects on tax payer money, asking in Parliament on Wednesday 1 November how ‘over-budget’ are the ‘high spruiked’ level crossing removals.
“Families in Pakenham are fed up with government spending being splurged on anything other than cost-of-living relief,” Ms Heath said.
“So please provide us with some transparency over how our taxpayer money is being used in this project.”
Ms Heath raised the examples of highly contested projects such as the Metro Tunnel and North East Link which have been used to attack the State Government’s infrastructure management as their costs have jumped from original estimates.
In January 2022, the State Government awarded an $844 million contract to the North Western Program Alliance, the organisation which oversees the Level Crossing Removal Project under the Major Transport Infrastructure Authority, for the removal of crossing at Main Street, McGregor Road and Racecourse Road in Pakenham and for the construction of stations at Pakenham and East Pakenham.
A spokesperson for the State Government said the project is on budget.
“We’re getting on with removing three dangerous and congested level crossings in Pakenham and building new stations at Pakenham and East Pakenham, with modern facilities for passengers,” they said.
“Seventy-two level crossings are already gone for good, with 110 to be removed by 2030, delivering huge benefits across Melbourne including eased congestion and a boost in safety. The program is more than a year ahead of schedule and on budget.”
