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Victorian Budget 2018/19

By on May 22, 2018

Victorian Budget 2018/19

ELIZABETH GIBSON, General Manager of CMPA.

From the Treasurer, The Hon Tim Pallas MP.

“This Budget continues to invest in the things that matter to Victorians, including schools, hospitals, roads and rail, with a record $13.7 billion in government infrastructure investment in 2018/19.”

This is certainly good news for the extractive industry:

$75 million to upgrade the Mordialloc Bypass into a freeway;

$712 million to continue widening of the Monash Freeway from Chadstone to Pakenham;

Planning for the North East Link.

Suburban Roads

$3.3 billion to upgrade and improve local roads which includes duplication and upgrade works:

Northern arterial roads:

  • Childs Road from Beaumont Crescent to Prince of Wales Avenue, Mill Park;
  • Craigieburn Road from Mickleham Road to Hume Highway, Craigieburn;
  • Epping Road from Craigieburn Road to Memorial Avenue, Epping;
  • Fitzsimons Lane, Templestowe;
  • Sunbury Road, from Bull-Diggers Rest Road to Powlett Street, Sunbury;
  • Yan Yean Road from Kurrak Road, Yarrambat to Bridge Inn Road, Doreen and Bridge Inn Road from Plenty Road to Yan Yean Road, Doreen.

South eastern arterial roads:

  • Golf Links Road, from Peninsula Link to Baxter-Tooradin Road and Grant Road from Baxter-Tooradin Road to Frankston Flinders Road, Langwarrin South;
  • Healesville – Koo Wee Rup Road from Princes Freeway to Manks Road Packenham;
  • Hallam North Road from Heatherton Road to James Cook Drive, Endeavour Hills;
  • Lathams Road, from Oliphant Way to Frankston-Dandenong Road, Carrum Downs;
  • Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road from Thompsons Road to South Gippsland Highway, Cranbourne;
  • Pound Road West, new bridge over Cranbourne rail line to connect Pound Road West and Remington Drive, Cranbourne West;
  • Thompsons Road – Stage 3, Cranbourne.

The budget also includes $116 million to repair roads and improve safety.

Regional Roads

$941 million has been allocated for overhaul of regional roads which includes funding for a new division of VicRoads based in Ballarat: Regional Roads Victoria.

$433 million for regional road restoration, including $100 million for Fixing Country Roads fund (state and local roads)

$261 million for road upgrades in regional Victoria:

  • $49 million for planning and pre-construction of the Western Highway – Beaufort Bypass;
  • $40 million for the planning and pre-construction of the Western Highway – Ararat bypass;
  • $40 million for upgrade to the Princes Highway West between Colac and the South Australian border;
  • $20 million for Shepparton heavy vehicle alternative freight route upgrades;
  • $19 million for Calder Highway Upgrade;
  • $10 million for Hamilton Highway upgrade;
  • $10 million for Forest-Apollo Bay Road upgrade;
  • $8 million for Kiewa Valley Highway.

If approximately 25% of the cost of the infrastructure is the construction materials then in the case of suburban and regional road roads funding for 2018/19 equates to $980 million (excludes planning and pre-construction works). When this is compared to 2015/16 figures (2016/17 figures from Earth Resources Regulation are yet to be published) for hard rock, 28 million tonnes of construction material in total at a cost of $503 million. Note that this does not take into account private and federal demand for construction material. This suggests that the extractive industry will be very active in 2018/19 and that there will be further tightening of the industry’s ability to keep up with demand.

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