Victorians have woken to yet another cost blowout on one of Jacinta Allan's signature infrastructure projects this time, the troubled West Gate Tunnel.
Reports in The Herald Sun today reveal a staggering $1.5 billion increase, pushing the total cost of the project to almost $12 billion - almost double the original $6.3 billion price tag.
This latest revelation is yet another reminder that Labor cannot manage major projects, and Victorians are paying the price. Before today's blowout, the project was already $4 billion over budget and running three years behind schedule.
Shadow Minister for Major Projects, Evan Mulholland, said Labor's inability to manage this project raises serious concerns about its promises on other major builds, including the Suburban Rail Loop.
"Labor has questions to answer about why a $6.3 billion project is now costing almost $12 billion."
"Cost blowouts on infrastructure projects under Jacinta Allan are spiralling towards $50 billion, all the while Labor is closing police stations during a crime crisis, leaving school classrooms in disrepair and leaving Victorians waiting over 10 hours in a ramped ambulance to get into an emergency room."
"This massive cost increase on the West Gate Tunnel proves that Labor's claims about the Suburban Rail Loop being immune to cost blowouts are laughable," Mr Mulholland said.
"Victorians are sick and tired of hearing about blowouts on Labor's major projects, it's always a few hundred million or a few billion more."
The Government is now trying to claim that the cost increase will be borne by the builders, but Mr Mulholland says Victorians have heard that line before.
"At the end of the day, we all know the government will blink first. And as always, it's the taxpayer who'll be left holding the bill."
Under Jacinta Allan's leadership - first as Minister and now as Premier, Victoria has seen project after project suffer delays, cost overruns and mismanagement.
With the state's net debt forecast to hit $194 billion by 2028-29, Victorians simply can't afford more of Labor's incompetence.
