The upgrade of the Warrnambool rail line could begin following the federal government’s allocation of $104 million in Tuesday’s budget to the project, Member for Wannon Dan Tehan says.
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“There’s no excuse for the state government to not get on with the job,” Mr Tehan said.
The proposed upgrade of the rail line provoked a war of words last year between the state and federal governments with the state announcing the $114 million upgrade without agreement from the federal government to fund the vast bulk of the work.
Plans for the upgrade include a new crossing loop near Boorcan, improved signalling, and more lights, bells and boom gates at passive crossings, opening the way for a fifth return service.
Another budget initiative hailed by Mr Tehan was funding to help attract more doctors and nurses to regional areas such as Warrnambool and Mortlake.
However there was no matching funding in the federal budget that would allow an expected $50 million promised by the state government last week for the Shipwreck Coast tourism master plan to materialise.
Mr Tehan said the federal government received the state’s plans for the Shipwreck Coast master plan and Geelong convention centre only 10 days before the federal budget and they were still under consideration. Whether the master plan got federal funding would depend on the quality of its business case, he said.
