Secret Fare Hike to Fund Suburban Rail Project Revealed
The Auditor-General said the government hid a 1% annual fare rise to help fund the Suburban Rail Loop, with 60% of revenue going to SRL East.
- On Wednesday, the Victorian Auditor-General released a report exposing a secret 1 per cent annual increase on public transport fares introduced in January 2025 to help fund the $33.3 billion Suburban Rail Loop.
- SRL East faces significant delivery challenges, with the report warning the 26km eastern section is 'more likely than not to exceed its publicly disclosed cost' and its 2035 completion date is 'at risk'.
- Premier Ben Carroll on Tuesday promised to find $2 billion in project savings, including an immediate $1 billion by cutting scope such as pedestrian bridges and underground interchanges.
- Treasurer Colin Brooks denied the levy directly funds the rail loop, claiming it supports general public transport, while Wendy Lovell called it a 'sneaky tax' harming regional Victorians paying for city projects.
- The levy, estimated to generate $4.8 billion in net present value through 2062, was hidden within annual fare increases, raising transparency concerns about how the government funds infrastructure without public disclosure.
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The Canberra Times'Final nail': Labor taken to task for secret rail tax
The State Labor government has been busted secretly slapping a decades-long tax on public transport commuters to raise money for a massive rail project. A report by the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office into Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop on Wednesday revealed a previously undisclosed levy was placed on all public transport fares in metropolitan Melbourne and regional […]
‘Hidden’ Levy on Victorian Public Transport Fares Revealed
Victoria’s Labor government has been busted secretly slapping a decades-long tax on public transport commuters to raise money for its massive rail project. A report by the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office into Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) on Aug. 26, revealed a previously undisclosed levy was placed on all public transport fares in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. SRL is a planned 90 kilometre orbital line stretching from …
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