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East West Link funds redistributed by PM

The federal government wants federal funds earmarked for Victoria's canned East West Link project distributed into specific projects.

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Source: AAP


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Federal funding earmarked for Victoria's canned East West Link project would be redistributed into other projects under a Turnbull government plan.

WHAT WAS EAST WEST LINK:

* An 18-kilometre tollway proposed by the former state Liberal government.

* State Labor axed the project when it won the 2014 election, with an ultimate cost of not building it $1.1 billion.

* That left $1.5 billion of federal funding in the state government coffers, which Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wants to redistribute to other projects nominated by him.

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THE PROPOSED REDISTRIBUTION:

* $500 million towards a $1 billion upgrade of the Monash Freeway.

* $350 million, to be matched by the state, to upgrade the Western Ring Road.

* $220 million, to be matched by the state, to upgrade 1000km of freight rail in the Murray Basin.

* $345 million to improve rural and regional road networks (including $10 million to upgrade the Great Ocean Road).

* $75 million to fix urban congestion in smaller projects.

* $10 million to the business plan for Melbourne Metro.

WHAT VICTORIAN PROJECTS MISS OUT:

* The $10.9 billion Metro Rail project to put new twin tunnels under Melbourne's CBD and build five new stations

* The state government was banking on $1.5 billion from the East West Link project and $4.5 billion from the federal government.

* Western Distributor - Victorian treasurer Tim Pallas asked the federal government to chip in around $2 billion in next month's budget, but it was not included in Friday's announcement.


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