[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":378},["ShallowReactive",2],{"active-categories":3,"blowouts":28,"story-\u002Fstories\u002Fnorth-east-link-cost-blowout-26-billion":83,"related-\u002Fstories\u002Fnorth-east-link-cost-blowout-26-billion":335,"surround-\u002Fstories\u002Fnorth-east-link-cost-blowout-26-billion":369},[4,6,8,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27],{"category":5},"follow-the-money",{"category":7},"cost-of-living",{"category":9},"government-waste",{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":7},{"category":7},{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":5},{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":7},{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":7},{"category":5},{"category":7},{"category":9},{"category":9},[29,39,49,58,66,75],{"path":30,"title":31,"category":9,"date":32,"blowout":33},"\u002Fstories\u002Fbom-website-96-million-one-year-on","One year on: the BOM website that cost $96.5 million, not $4 million","2026-10-24",{"project":34,"originalCost":35,"currentCost":36,"announced":37,"note":38},"BOM website",4100000,96500000,"2025","$4.1m was the figure first given to the public.",{"path":40,"title":41,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":43},"\u002Fstories\u002Fcross-river-rail-cost-blowout-19-billion","Cross River Rail was sold as a $5.4 billion project. The government now says it costs $19 billion","2026-10-25",{"project":44,"originalCost":45,"currentCost":46,"announced":47,"note":48},"Cross River Rail",5400000000,19041000000,"2017","Queensland Government figure (Oct 2025). It includes 25 years of tunnel maintenance and network works; Labor disputes counting them.",{"path":50,"title":51,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":52},"\u002Fstories\u002Fhunter-class-frigates-27-billion-three-ships","Hunter-class frigates: sold as nine warships for $35 billion. We're now paying $27 billion for three",{"project":53,"originalCost":54,"currentCost":55,"announced":56,"note":57},"Hunter-class frigates",35000000000,45600000000,"2018","2020 Force Structure Plan estimate for nine ships. The program is now six ships; close to $27bn is allocated for the first three, including the Osborne shipyard.",{"path":59,"title":60,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":61},"\u002Fstories\u002Finland-rail-cost-blowout-45-billion-parkes","Inland Rail was sold as a $10.7 billion project. It now costs $45.6 billion, and stops at Parkes",{"project":62,"originalCost":63,"currentCost":55,"announced":64,"note":65},"Inland Rail",10660000000,"2015","Both P90 estimates for the full Melbourne to Brisbane line. Only Beveridge to Parkes is now being built.",{"path":67,"title":68,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":69},"\u002Fstories\u002Fnorth-east-link-cost-blowout-26-billion","North East Link was sold as a $10 billion road. It now costs $26 billion",{"project":70,"originalCost":71,"currentCost":72,"announced":73,"note":74},"North East Link",10000000000,26100000000,"2016","Victoria's December 2023 estimate. Includes the Eastern Freeway and M80 upgrades added since.",{"path":76,"title":77,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":78},"\u002Fstories\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion","Snowy 2.0 was sold as a $2 billion project. It could now cost $25 billion",{"project":79,"originalCost":80,"currentCost":81,"announced":47,"note":82},"Snowy 2.0",2000000000,22200000000,"Target cost. Up to $25bn with contingency; transmission not included.",{"id":84,"title":68,"author":85,"bigNumber":86,"bigNumberLabel":87,"blowout":88,"body":89,"category":9,"date":42,"description":295,"draft":296,"extension":297,"featured":296,"focusKeywords":298,"image":299,"imageAlt":300,"meta":301,"navigation":302,"path":67,"people":303,"readingTime":304,"refresh":305,"seo":306,"shareImage":305,"sources":307,"stem":326,"tags":327,"updated":305,"__hash__":334},"stories\u002Fstories\u002Fnorth-east-link-cost-blowout-26-billion.md","Aussie Outrage","2.6x","North East Link's cost now, compared with the $10bn it was unveiled at in 2016",{"project":70,"originalCost":71,"currentCost":72,"announced":73,"note":74},{"type":90,"value":91,"toc":286},"minimark",[92,101,108,114,119,129,192,199,203,213,219,225,229,232,235,239,242,245,248,258,269],[93,94,95,96,100],"p",{},"In December 2016, Premier Daniel Andrews promised that a re-elected Labor government would build the North East Link: the \"missing link\" in Melbourne's freeway network, a 10-kilometre connection from the M80 Ring Road to the Eastern Freeway, tunnelling under the Yarra. The price was ",[97,98,99],"strong",{},"$10 billion",".",[93,102,103,104,107],{},"In December 2023, Premier Jacinta Allan revealed the cost had reached ",[97,105,106],{},"$26.1 billion",", making it Victoria's most expensive road project. It's due to open in 2028.",[109,110],"big-stat",{"label":111,"source":112,"value":113},"North East Link's cost, against $10bn when it was unveiled in 2016","Victorian Budget update, December 2023","$26.1bn",[115,116,118],"h2",{"id":117},"the-price-tag-year-by-year","The price tag, year by year",[120,121],"line-chart",{":data":122,"note":123,"prefix":124,"source":125,"subtitle":126,"suffix":127,"title":128},"[{\"x\":\"2016-12\",\"y\":10,\"label\":\"Unveiled: $10bn\",\"position\":\"right\"},{\"x\":\"2018-05\",\"y\":15.8,\"label\":\"Business case: $15.8bn\"},{\"x\":\"2023-12\",\"y\":26.1,\"label\":\"Now: $26.1bn\",\"note\":\"Victoria $21.21bn, federal government $5bn (May 2026)\"}]","The 2023 figure includes upgrades to the Eastern Freeway and M80 Ring Road that were added after the business case.","$","AAP; ABC News (15 Dec 2023); Premier of Victoria (24 May 2026)","Estimated cost, billions of dollars","bn","North East Link's price tag, estimate by estimate",[130,131,132,148],"table",{},[133,134,135],"thead",{},[136,137,138,142,145],"tr",{},[139,140,141],"th",{},"When",[139,143,144],{},"Estimated cost",[139,146,147],{},"Due to open",[149,150,151,162,172,182],"tbody",{},[136,152,153,157,160],{},[154,155,156],"td",{},"December 2016 (election promise)",[154,158,159],{},"$10bn",[154,161],{},[136,163,164,167,170],{},[154,165,166],{},"Business case",[154,168,169],{},"$15.8bn",[154,171],{},[136,173,174,177,179],{},[154,175,176],{},"December 2023 (Budget update)",[154,178,113],{},[154,180,181],{},"2028",[136,183,184,187,190],{},[154,185,186],{},"May 2026 (tunnelling finished)",[154,188,189],{},"$26.21bn ($21.21bn Victoria, $5bn federal)",[154,191,181],{},[93,193,194,195,198],{},"That's ",[97,196,197],{},"$16 billion more"," than Victorians were first told, and $10 billion more than the business case the project was approved on.",[115,200,202],{"id":201},"what-went-wrong","What went wrong",[93,204,205,208,209,212],{},[97,206,207],{},"The government kept adding to it."," Treasurer Tim Pallas said about ",[97,210,211],{},"60 per cent"," of the extra cost came from \"deliberate decisions\" by the government. AAP reported $6.4 billion in changes to the project, including an extra two kilometres of tunnel (taking it to 6.5km), design changes to keep roads away from homes, noise works, a busway and a rail extension. The ABC put the cost of the longer tunnels at nearly $2 billion, and the extra work on the Eastern Freeway and M80 Ring Road at $2.5 billion.",[93,214,215,218],{},[97,216,217],{},"Building costs soared."," About $3.1 billion of the increase was higher materials costs. Allan blamed cost escalation from the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, and said she felt \"great frustration and disappointment\".",[93,220,221,224],{},[97,222,223],{},"The case was never updated."," The 2018 business case found the road would return about $1.30 for every dollar spent. Critics, including the Public Transport Users Association and MPs in State Parliament, say that figure has never been publicly updated since the cost went up by more than $10 billion.",[115,226,228],{"id":227},"what-youre-getting-for-it","What you're getting for it",[93,230,231],{},"Tunnelling finished in 2026. The government says up to 15,000 trucks a day will use the tunnels instead of local roads, and that trips between Melbourne's north and east will be up to 35 minutes shorter. The price also buys upgrades of the Eastern Freeway and the M80 Ring Road, and a busway.",[93,233,234],{},"\"This is productive infrastructure, supporting a productive economy,\" Allan said.",[115,236,238],{"id":237},"whos-to-blame","Who's to blame?",[93,240,241],{},"This one is a Labor project: promised by Andrews, built under Andrews and Allan. Allan points to the pandemic and global construction costs. But by her own Treasurer's account, most of the increase came from decisions the government made.",[93,243,244],{},"Shadow Major Projects Minister David Southwick said: \"The scale of this blowout demonstrates that Labor's major project budget figures can no longer be believed.\"",[93,246,247],{},"The federal government has kept paying. In May 2024 it added $3.25 billion, taking Canberra's share to $5 billion.",[93,249,250,253,254,257],{},[97,251,252],{},"Your share:"," the jump from $10 billion to $26.1 billion works out to about ",[97,255,256],{},"$2,300 for every Victorian"," (on a population of about 7 million). Some of that comes from federal taxes paid by every Australian, through Canberra's $5 billion.",[93,259,260],{},[261,262,263,264,100],"em",{},"Victorians vote on 28 November. This is one of a series on the cost of the Big Build. See also: ",[265,266,268],"a",{"href":267},"\u002Fstories\u002Fbig-build-cfmeu-15-billion-corruption-estimate","the $15 billion question on Big Build corruption",[93,270,271],{},[261,272,273,274,280,281,100],{},"Top photo: North East Link works at Bulleen, Melbourne, October 2024. Photo: BobTanGo, ",[265,275,279],{"href":276,"rel":277},"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby\u002F4.0",[278],"nofollow","CC BY 4.0",", via ",[265,282,285],{"href":283,"rel":284},"https:\u002F\u002Fcommons.wikimedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FFile:Closeup_of_the_North_East_Link_build_in_Bulleen.jpg",[278],"Wikimedia Commons",{"title":287,"searchDepth":288,"depth":289,"links":290},"",2,3,[291,292,293,294],{"id":117,"depth":288,"text":118},{"id":201,"depth":288,"text":202},{"id":227,"depth":288,"text":228},{"id":237,"depth":288,"text":238},"Melbourne's North East Link was unveiled at $10bn in 2016. It's now $26.1bn, Victoria's most expensive road. The Treasurer said 60% of the rise was the government's own choices.",false,"md",[],"\u002Fimages\u002Fnorth-east-link-bulleen.jpg","An aerial view of North East Link works at Bulleen, with two red and white cranes above the site",{},true,[],4,null,{"title":68,"description":295},[308,311,314,317,320,323],{"title":309,"url":310},"ABC News: Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan reveals $10-billion blowout on North East Link (15 Dec 2023)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.abc.net.au\u002Fnews\u002F2023-12-15\u002Fnorth-east-link-vic-budget-blowout-jacinta-allan\u002F103232986",{"title":312,"url":313},"AAP: Project blowout on North East Link to cost $26 billion (Dec 2023)","https:\u002F\u002Faapnews.aap.com.au\u002Fnews\u002Fnew-project-blowout-with-north-east-link-to-cost-26b",{"title":315,"url":316},"Premier of Victoria: North East Link breakthrough (24 May 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.premier.vic.gov.au\u002Fnorth-east-link-breakthrough",{"title":318,"url":319},"AAP: Feds give Vic toll road build a $3.25 billion boost (May 2024)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aap.com.au\u002Fnews\u002Ffeds-give-vic-toll-road-build-a-3-25-billion-boost\u002F",{"title":321,"url":322},"Victorian Legislative Assembly Hansard, 19 March 2024 (debate on the cost increase)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.parliament.vic.gov.au\u002Fparliamentary-activity\u002Fhansard\u002Fhansard-details\u002FHANSARD-974425065-25773",{"title":324,"url":325},"Infrastructure Magazine: North East Link business case released (May 2018)","https:\u002F\u002Finfrastructuremagazine.com.au\u002Fnorth-east-link-business-case-released\u002F","stories\u002Fnorth-east-link-cost-blowout-26-billion",[328,329,330,331,332,333],"north-east-link","big-build","victoria","roads","tunnels","blowouts","NMgdMgb9oO1vPS8m5oWyr4bkQX_wpRr5JjRgt8xjgcc",[336,344,353,361],{"path":337,"title":338,"description":339,"date":340,"category":9,"author":85,"image":305,"imageAlt":305,"bigNumber":341,"bigNumberLabel":342,"readingTime":343,"featured":296},"\u002Fstories\u002Fsuburban-rail-loop-cost-96-billion","Suburban Rail Loop cost: $50bn promised, $96.4bn forecast","How much will the Suburban Rail Loop cost? $33.3bn for stage one, says the government, but the Auditor-General says it could top $36bn. Two stages: $96.4bn.","2026-11-01","$96.4bn","What Victoria's Parliamentary Budget Office estimated in 2024 it would cost to build two sections of the loop. All of it was promised for $50bn.",12,{"path":345,"title":346,"description":347,"date":348,"category":9,"author":85,"image":349,"imageAlt":350,"bigNumber":351,"bigNumberLabel":352,"readingTime":288,"featured":296},"\u002Fstories\u002Fbig-build-office-pot-plants-1-6-million","$1.6 million on pot plants for Big Build offices","Rail Projects Victoria spent an estimated $1.64 million on plant hire and maintenance, and the Suburban Rail Loop Authority almost $200,000 more, according to the state opposition.","2026-10-26","\u002Fimages\u002Foffice-plants-desk.jpg","Small potted succulents on a timber office desk","$1.6m","Estimated spend on plant hire and maintenance at Rail Projects Victoria",{"path":354,"title":355,"description":356,"date":348,"category":9,"author":85,"image":357,"imageAlt":358,"bigNumber":359,"bigNumberLabel":360,"readingTime":288,"featured":296},"\u002Fstories\u002Fcommonwealth-games-cancelled-589-million","$589 million to host nothing: what cancelling the Commonwealth Games cost Victoria","Victoria pulled out of the 2026 Commonwealth Games to save money. The Auditor-General found walking away cost $589 million with no discernible benefit, and the $6.9 billion figure used to justify it was overstated.","\u002Fimages\u002Feureka-stadium-ballarat.jpg","An aerial view of Eureka Stadium in Ballarat, with a blue athletics track behind it","$589m","What Victoria paid to cancel the 2026 Commonwealth Games",{"path":362,"title":363,"description":364,"date":348,"category":9,"author":85,"image":365,"imageAlt":366,"bigNumber":367,"bigNumberLabel":368,"readingTime":288,"featured":296},"\u002Fstories\u002Fmachete-ban-13-million-bins","The $13 million machete ban: what the money actually pays for","Victoria set aside $13 million for its machete ban and amnesty bins. The bins cost about $2,400 each. The government still hasn't said where the rest of the money goes.","\u002Fimages\u002Fmachete-amnesty-bin-echuca.jpg","A navy steel bin labelled Machete Amnesty Safe Disposal Bin outside Echuca police station","$13m","Budgeted for Victoria's machete ban, including about 45 disposal bins",[370,373],{"title":60,"path":59,"stem":371,"description":372,"children":-1},"stories\u002Finland-rail-cost-blowout-45-billion-parkes","Inland Rail's full cost is now $45.6bn, four times the 2015 business case. In May the government stopped it at Parkes, 1,000km short of Brisbane.",{"title":374,"path":375,"stem":376,"description":377,"children":-1},"Power prices 'fell' this year. So why is your bill bigger?","\u002Fstories\u002Fpower-bills-rebates-ended-prices-falling","stories\u002Fpower-bills-rebates-ended-prices-falling","The regulator cut its benchmark price by a few per cent in July. But the government rebates have ended, and the rises of 2022 to 2024 haven't gone anywhere. Here's what's really happening to your power and heating bills.",1793586230217]