www.theage.com.au › News › Victoria News
Sep 19, 2016 - The
sale will allow the Andrews government to unleash billions of ... Labor secures $9.7b
Port of
Melbourne windfall, but claims federal
funds fall short .... Initially the
money will be parked in the Victorian
Transport Fund, and ...
Government to use sale of Port of Melbourne lease to fund transport ...
www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-05/proceeds...
port...
sale-to-
fund-
transport.../5299290
Mar 4, 2014 - The Victorian Government will sell the lease on the
Port of
Melbourne to
fund future infrastructure projects. The
sale would raise billions of ...
[...]
Click to expand...
Melbourne's (and many of the Australian cities') transit plans make Canada look 'provincial' in comparison. (Note the Private Capital participation in this project):
[...]
Project description
The project will deliver two 9-kilometre rail tunnels from
South Kensington to
South Yarra via the
CBD. There will be five new underground stations, to be known as Arden, Parkville, CBD North, CBD South and Domain. The line will run from the north-west to the south-east and combine the
Sunbury line with the
Cranbourne/
Pakenham line.
Whilst the rail tunnel is the centrepiece of the project, further works will also be carried out on the
Craigieburn and
Upfield lines and complement existing projects underway on the
Dandenong line, to create four 'metro-style lines which each run independent of each other. This includes the provision of high speed signalling, level crossing removals, track and station improvements and additional train stabling facilities. In addition to this,
High Capacity Metro Trains will be procured to add further capacity to the network.
Current status
Map of the planned route
With the election of the Andrews Government in November 2014, the project was positioned as a priority for ongoing future development and eventual construction.
On 18 February 2015, Premier Daniel Andrews announced $40 million had been allocated to commence detailed planning works, community consultation, route design and development of a refreshed business case. The balance, some $260 million, is to be delivered in the May 2015/16 Victorian State Budget.
[3] It was revealed that a line of credit facility, originally proposed for the now-cancelled East West Link, would be used to provide up to $3 billion in funding for the project, over the forward estimates.
Andrews announced in April 2015 that $1.5 billion would be allocated in the upcoming 2015/16 State Budget for the full cost of pre-construction works, geo technical drilling, land and property acquisition and detailed route investigations.
[4] This is on top of a previously announced $300 million earlier in the year. Furthermore, some 150 bore holes will be dug along the route across Melbourne to investigate soil and ground composition, including the
Yarra River.
[5]
In October 2015 the government announced it had abandoned earlier plans to run the tunnel just metres beneath Swanston Street and above the existing
City Loop tunnels and instead place parts of the project 40 metres underground between CBD North and CBD South stations. The decision was made to reduce disruption to trams and traders on
Swanston Street and avoid removing critical utilities, such as telecommunication lines, from beneath the street.
[6] The government said it would compulsorily acquire the properties of 63 households and 31 businesses at several locations on the tunnel route.
[7]
In January 2016 soil testing and drilling began in the Yarra River.
[8] In February 2016,
CPB Contractors, a
John Holland/
KBR consortium and a
Lend Lease/Coleman Rail consortium were shortlisted to bid for the early works.
[9]
On 22 June 2016 the Office of the Premier of Victoria announced the consortium granted the first contract for construction was CPB Contractors, with a $324 million Works Package which includes the excavation of 35 meter deep open shafts adjacent to Swanston Street to enable the underground construction of the two new city stations, and the relocation of up to 100 subterranean utilities. Works on the shafts are to start in 2017, whilst utility relocation's will start in July 2016.
[10][11]
In August 2016, three consortia were shortlisted to bid for the contract:
[12]