Victorian transport minister blames cost blowouts under former government for preventing him fulfilling infrastructure commitments
March 21, 2012
Transport projects that ran over budget under the previous Victorian government have prevented the current administration from fulfilling its infrastructure commitments, according to Transport Minister Terry Mulder.
Mulder has taken aim at the former government, claiming the money spent on the Myki smartcard system could have seen 20km of major suburban roads duplicated.
Mulder says the M1 upgrade project blew out by more than $300 million, while $20 million was spent on roadside lighting.
However, RMIT University lecturer in transport planning Paul Mees believes the former government’s lack of actions is the fault of bureaucrats in the Department of Transport
“So why is Mr Mulder taking advice from exactly the same bureaucrats who produced all these cost blowouts and overruns?” Mees asks.
“Does he really think that the previous government’s transport ministers actually managed all these projects themselves?”