Avalon Airport Rail Exclusion A Lost Opportunity
A gaping transport hole has been left by the Andrews Labor Government in a decision not to include the Avalon Airport in its rail plans for Geelong.
The Liberal Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, said the failure to exclude a commuter station at Avalon Airport in this week’s State Budget is bewildering.
“G21 and other Geelong-region stakeholders could not have made the case any clearer for this project,” Mrs McArthur told the Victorian Parliament yesterday.
“The Melbourne-Geelong rail project was the key opportunity to make an Avalon Airport train station a reality. It is a lost opportunity at a time when it is more vital than ever.”
This includes the recovery of the Australian tourism industry that has been decimated by Government decisions around the Coronavirus, including border closures.
Mrs McArthur has asked the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Jacinta Allan, when the Government intends to support Avalon with rail.
“When will the government show it is serious about infrastructure investment outside the city and commit to funding this essential connection?” she asked.
“The international airport at Avalon is a significant asset and has the potential to be a key economic driver for the whole region.”
The bizarre exclusion of the Avalon station follows funding in the State Budget – including Federal funding support – for Melbourne Airport Rail linking the Melbourne Airport with the Melbourne CBD and regional interchanges.
“The need to link airports and rail couldn’t have been made clearer this week.
“Yet despite this, Minister Allan has snubbed the opportunity to bring Avalon more dynamically into the tourism and commuter needs of the rapidly growing Geelong-Surf Coast-Western Victoria region.
“This complete failure simply puts the region years – even decades – behind what it should be,” she said.
“Avalon Airport’s own website clearly makes the case for the opportunity for rail – linking the airport as the gateway to the Bellarine and Great Ocean Road, or to Melbourne.
“Minister Allan has shut the gate this week. It was an opportunity lost.”
27 November 2020