Victorian road users won't face a congestion tax, at least not for now.
The Andrews Labor government on Wednesday released a response to Infrastructure Victoria's 30-year plan, made public back in December.
The government's glossy, three-part Victorian Infrastructure Plan accepts in full, in part or in principal 134 of 137 expert recommendations.
But it re-iterated its outright rejection for a congestion tax because of an election commitment, Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings said.
"The reason we have said no to transport pricing is because we're electorally bound by that commitment," he told reporters on Wednesday.
"In the future, a future government may consider whether they are more ready to accept and have a mandate to accept that recommendation."
A network pricing system was in Infrastructure Victoria's top three recommendations to "to change behaviour and manage demand for travel".
Infrastructure Victoria's recommendation for recycled drinking water, increased output from the controversial Wonthaggi desalination plant and creating a second plant was only partly supported.
But "recycling wastewater for drinking is not supported and not government policy", the report reads.
Mr Jennings said the current priorities of government were already in the budget and the next five years of projects would be revealed after the 2018 budget.
"You have to understand what the budget capacity is, you have to understand what your construction capacity is, you have to understand what the disruption to the community is," he said.
"We want a future that is actually sustainable, we want a future that is well planned."
Share
