Brimbank Council has welcomed the announcement of an agreement between the Federal and
State governments and Australia Pacific Airports, with a Memorandum of Understanding signed
today.
This long-awaited agreement, jointly announced by the State and Federal Governments, marks
‘moving forward’ with the Melbourne Airport Railway project.
Council has long advocated for the delivery of Melbourne Airport Rail and the development of the
Sunshine Precinct as the lack of infrastructure in the west has been a major hurdle holding the
community back. It sees this agreement as an important step towards achieving these critical
projects.
Council’s recently launched the ‘Rail before Runway’ movement, calls on the Federal and State
Governments to urgently deliver this urgent infrastructure, before Melbourne’s third runway is
built.
To make Brimbank the thriving city Victoria needs it to be, the Melbourne Airport Rail and the
Sunshine Precinct need to be progressed now, to be up and running, servicing the millions of
visitors coming into Melbourne with the opening to the third runway.
The Sunshine Precinct will be critically important in supporting Greater Melbourne to provide for
the 83 million visitors travelling into our cities, while Melbourne Airport Rail will provide a viable
transport option for travellers, along with the thousands of employees who travel to work at
Melbourne Airport.
Our major roads, like the Calder, the Tullamarine Freeway and the M80 cannot handle this
traffic, and our community urgently need better transport to thrive.
With the recently secured Federal Government funding of $2b, Council is focused on working
closely with all levels of government to secure appropriate timelines for the delivery of both
projects in entirety.
Ensuring the delivery of the full Sunshine Precinct including the Sunshine Station Masterplan and
Melbourne Airport Rail before the third runway opens remains an urgent priority for Council.
Quotes to be attributed to Brimbank Mayor, Cr Thuy Dang
“Today’s agreement between the Albanese Government, Allan Government and Australia Pacific
Airports (Melbourne) Pty Ltd is a milestone that marks a significant step forward to delivering better transports options, creating jobs and boosting economic growth for our region."
“We’re hopeful this long-awaited agreement is the key to fast tracking Melbourne Airport Rail before the third runway opens in 2031."
“We’re continuing to urge our community to make their voices heard by visiting
railbeforerunway.com.au where they can write to our political leaders in just four clicks, to make this change happen."
“Together, I believe we can turn our long awaited vision of the Melbourne Airport Rail into a reality.”