Victorian Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan says she'll be asking her federal counterpart about the new government's funding commitments for the Murray Basin Rail Project.
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Ms Allan told the Victorian Parliamentary Public Accounts and Estimates Committee she was unsure of the new government's position but would speak with federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Catherine King.
The previous federal government promised to commit $5 million to plan for the full standardisation of the network, on the proviso it was matched by the state government.
"I don't think that (the $5m federal funding) is a thing, I don't think the incoming government has that commitment - I'll have to check," Ms Allan told the committee.
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.When it was originally announced in 2015, the MBRP was expected to cost $440m and convert the Mildura, Sea Lake and Manangatang lines from broad to standard gauge.
The project was rescoped, resulting in a further $195.2m in federal funding, while the state government put in $48.8m.
Ms Allan said the business case from 2012 did not "reflect the current state of the network.
"It does not pick up on the extra 125 services that go through Ballarat on the passenger network and it doesn't reflect the way the freight network operates now, post the investments that have been made in the MBRP rail freight network."
She said she recently met with someone from industry, who asked "can we please start talking about what is needed beyond this?
"We have invested jointly with the federal government -- a position I must say that I was very pleased to reach an agreement with the former Infrastructure Minister Michael McCormack on the reset of the project and so secure the significant additional funding for the project
"We are determined to complete the works on that.
"The work that we're focused on right now is delivering that program of works ... there are works underway at the moment."
It's believed The Ouyen-Murrayville work has been completed, with the line speed increased from 25 kilometres an hour to 40km/h this week, with work to start shortly on the Ararat-Maryborough re-railing.
The government is also planning further major works, including passing loops at Elmhurst and Tourello, along with a re-jig of the Dunolly yard.
But Opposition deputy leader Peter Walsh said the minister was being underhanded in shifting the blame for the project's derailment away from the state government.
"Yet again, Jacinta Allan is working overtime to condemn this transformational freight rail project to the scrap heap of Labor's mismanaged major projects," Mr Walsh said.
"If the Minister won't step up and demand her federal Labor colleagues commit to delivering Basin Rail - in full and to the original scope - she should get out of the way and hand responsibility to someone who will.
"North-west Victorians deserve better than constantly being handed the scraps off the table."
He said the project was stalled after the government mismanaged the delivery, including the use of century-old track.
Mr Walsh said local transport stakeholders have said the problems are so bad, they're now worse off than before the project started.
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
