Premier Daniel Andrews has taken a swipe at a group of councils led by Ballarat and Melton calling for increased rail investment, arguing his government was “getting on” with the job of delivering fast regional trains.
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On Thursday the Ballarat Rail Action Committee, made up of the Ballarat, Moorabool, Brimbank, Melton, Ararat and Pyrenees councils, launched its campaign to secure $50 million for a Melton electrification business case.
Council representatives posed for photos in front of vintage steam trains at Newport Railway Station to help gain the attention of both the government and opposition ahead of November’s state election.
Speaking in Ballarat on Friday, Mr Andrews said “I think it’s a bit rich for a mayor or a council to be making out the government isn't investing in regional rail”.
“People are free to have their views and they're free to dress up if they want...but what's more important is to get on and build these things and that’s what we are doing.”
The state government is in the process of rolling out $530 million in upgrades to the Ballarat line, which will deliver a series of new platforms and passing loops aimed at improving reliability along the line.
The Premier is also hoping to promote electrification into the west of Melbourne by securing an airport rail link through Sunshine.
“I’m not protesting about that, I’m negotiating and talking to the Prime Minister about this,” Mr Andrews said.
In a statement City of Melton mayor Bob Turner said western and regional commuters were “tired of old, out-of-date rail infrastructure literally built in the 19th century”.
“As it stands, the Ballarat rail line no longer meets the needs of our booming population.”
Opposition Public Transport Spokesman David Davis said Mr Andrews “deserves to be seen in a very poor light due to these nasty comments”.
”Local council representatives and communities have every right to put their case forward, and indeed that is their task to do so,” Mr Davis said. “Communities along the Ballarat line have a legitimate case to put and there is a legitimate need, given the booming population along the line, to be looking at upgrades in a whole series of ways.”
