Arabic version: فيكتوريا تلغي رسماً على أجور النقل مرتبطاً بمشروع حلقة السكك الحديدية للضواحي

According to ABC News, Victorian Premier Ben Carroll says the government will abolish a 1 per cent public transport fare levy linked to funding the Suburban Rail Loop. The charge took effect in January 2025 and was disclosed publicly after the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office released its review of the project.

Carroll said the levy had not been created or implemented through a transparent or acceptable process. The charge was embedded in annual fare increases attributed to inflation and was not reported in the state budget or a media release. It was expected to raise about $8 billion over 37 years to 2062, but has raised about $6.5 million while public transport fares are half-price.

The premier said removing the levy would require cabinet approval and would leave a larger gap in Victoria’s state budget. He said he had asked his department to check for other hidden charges. Deputy Premier Gabrielle Williams said she was unaware that a decision had been made to keep the levy “proactively hidden”, while agreeing Victorians should have been told.

The auditor-general’s report also questioned projected savings from cuts to SRL East, which is planned to connect Cheltenham and Box Hill. Carroll said $1 billion in savings would lower the project’s estimated cost from $34.5 billion to $33.3 billion, including by dropping two underground station interchanges and a multi-level car park. But VAGO found those items were not fully included in the project’s total estimated cost. The government also rejected VAGO’s assessment that SRL East was unlikely to be delivered on time and on budget.