Victorian Treasurer says he ‘doesn’t know’ how much major projects have blown out by

Victoria’s state budget, which was handed down yesterday, had a notable omission — there were no financial details of Victoria’s major infrastructure projects included.

Treasurer Tim Pallas says the State Capital Program Book, which contains those details, was not included in this budget because it was “physically impossible to do”.

“We’ve got public servants working remotely, we’ve had a reset of this industry, so each and every project has to be looked at,” he said.

Mr Pallas says he doesn’t know how much Victoria’s infrastructure projects have blown out due to the effects of COVID-19, but denied that major projects are billions over budget.

“I don’t know” he told Neil Mitchell, when asked how overbudget the state’s top 10 major infrastructure projects are.

“What we do know is that there will be an impact on price in some projects, and there’ll be a time delay.”

Neil Mitchell: So we’re talking about blowouts and delays? Is that correct?

Tim Pallas: You have had restrictions on this industry. I don’t accept the point that it’s billions of dollars.

Neil Mitchell Oh, don’t you? What figure would you put on it?

Tim Pallas I’m not putting a figure on it because we’re doing that work as we speak.

Mr Pallas has “guaranteed” the key budget document revealing the expenditure on Victorian infrastructure projects will be produced in the next budget, which is due in May.

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Image: Daniel Pockett / Getty