3AW: PM Tony Abbott says Victoria cannot use $3 billion for Melbourne Metro project April 16, 2015
The $3 billion of federal funding set aside for the East West Link cannot be used for the newly announced Melbourne Metro project, said Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
The prime minister told Brett McLeod the scrapping of the East West Link was “a disaster for Victoria” and he was dismayed the state government would spend $600 million to not build the road.
Mr Abbott said he was familiar with Melbourne roads and the inner city was “choking on its own traffic”.
The federal government has already given the Victorian government half of the $3 billion promised to help build the East West Link.
But Mr Abbott said the government does not fund urban rail projects.
“Three billion dollars will be in a locked box as far as this national government is concerned to be made available to the first Victorian government that wants to build the East West Link,” Mr Abbott said.
