MR PALLAS (Treasurer) — I rise to inform the house about the economic benefits of the Labor government’s initiative to remove all level crossings — all nine level crossings — between Dandenong and the CBD. This government, the Andrews Labor government, considered all potential design options for this corridor before deciding to proceed. We even examined the complete farce of was being considered by the previous government — what we affectionately known as the ‘Crapenham project’. In addition to delivering a better outcome for residents and for communities, elevated rail will maximise the economic benefits of removing these nine dangerous and congested level crossings and will also create some 2000 jobs.

Labor’s plan has the advantage that it will actually work. It will remove all nine level crossings on the corridor, not four. It rebuilds five stations, not three. And it will be serviced by 37 new high-capacity trains, not 25; trains that will be built at least 50 per cent out of local content by Victorian manufacturers. It will accommodate 11 000 extra passengers during the peak hour. If those opposite had their way, it would have blown out by half a billion dollars without even delivering the promised improvements.

This is the busiest rail corridor in our state, carrying over 28 200 passengers in the morning. Road congestion has already cost something like $4.6 billion per year. We will see. Had those opposite designed and delivered this project the way they wanted, there would be massive congestion and a greater freight load on this vital corridor.