Victoria's new Premier, Ben Carroll, has not ruled out redirecting billions of dollars earmarked for the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) to other projects. On his second day in office, Mr Carroll stated his government would invest funds where they deliver the "greatest value for Victorians."
Mr Carroll did not dispute reports suggesting he would order a review into the 90km public transport project, which could also examine redirecting already signed construction contracts worth billions of dollars. The state government has committed approximately $11.8bn for the first stage of the loop, SRL East, and signed $14.5bn worth of contracts.
The federal government has allocated $6bn to the SRL, with $3.8bn included in May's federal budget. An independent Parliamentary Budget Office costing, released on Thursday, suggests that cancelling the project could improve the state's budget position by $21bn over ten years, although it would incur $1.8bn in contract termination fees.
Additionally, Mr Carroll flagged "sensible changes" to proposed laws that would enshrine the right to work from home two days a week. This bill is expected to pass the lower house today before moving to the upper house for debate on 11 August.