VIC budget funds Melbourne Metro

The allocation of funds will allow a corridor of land to be reserved and protected for the Melbourne Metro rail tunnel and associated stations.

Melbourne Metro is a proposed 9km twin rail tunnel between South Kensington and South Yarra. It includes five new stations to be located at Arden (North Melbourne), Parkville, CBD North, CBD South and Domain.

The Melbourne Metro project was granted “ready to proceed” status by Infrastructure Australia (IA) in 2009, and subsequently received $40m in federal funding. Each of IA’s National Infrastructure Priorities reports has noted that the project is “ready to proceed” since that time.

Upon announcing the budget Victorian premier Ted Ballieu said  the project was reliant on further funding from the Commonwealth Government.

Public Transport minister Terry Mulder said the government was “pushing ahead” to obtain planning approvals to protect the corridor so the project could proceed quickly when it receives Commonwealth funding.

Public Transport Victoria is preparing to commence the formal planning process for Melbourne Metro. This process will include comprehensive assessments of the environmental, social and economic issues associated with the project.

The Melbourne Metro project is designed to “untangle” the inner core of Melbourne’s rail network, create the capacity needed to expand the network, and increase services to Melbourne’s growth areas in the west, north and south east.

The project will also help transport Melbourne’s network into a metro-style system. The proposed 9km twin rail tunnel between South Kensington and South Yarra would free up the city loop and enable the creation of independent rail lines.