[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":173},["ShallowReactive",2],{"active-categories":3,"blowouts":28,"tag-victoria":83},[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.",[84,102,115,127,139,149,163],{"path":85,"title":86,"description":87,"date":88,"category":9,"author":89,"image":90,"imageAlt":90,"bigNumber":91,"bigNumberLabel":92,"readingTime":93,"featured":94,"tags":95},"\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","Aussie Outrage",null,"$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,false,[96,97,98,99,100,101],"suburban-rail-loop","big-build","victoria","blowouts","infrastructure","tunnels",{"path":103,"title":104,"description":105,"date":106,"category":9,"author":89,"image":107,"imageAlt":108,"bigNumber":109,"bigNumberLabel":110,"readingTime":111,"featured":94,"tags":112},"\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",2,[97,98,113,96,114],"rail-projects-victoria","office-costs",{"path":116,"title":117,"description":118,"date":106,"category":9,"author":89,"image":119,"imageAlt":120,"bigNumber":121,"bigNumberLabel":122,"readingTime":111,"featured":94,"tags":123},"\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",[124,98,125,126],"commonwealth-games","auditor-general","regional-victoria",{"path":128,"title":129,"description":130,"date":106,"category":9,"author":89,"image":131,"imageAlt":132,"bigNumber":133,"bigNumberLabel":134,"readingTime":111,"featured":94,"tags":135},"\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",[136,98,137,138],"machete-ban","knife-crime","budget",{"path":140,"title":141,"description":142,"date":106,"category":9,"author":89,"image":143,"imageAlt":144,"bigNumber":145,"bigNumberLabel":146,"readingTime":111,"featured":94,"tags":147},"\u002Fstories\u002Fmetro-tunnel-plaques-70000-replaced","$70,000 to fix the wording on Metro Tunnel plaques","Commemorative plaques for the Metro Tunnel were replaced after errors were found in their wording, at a reported cost of about $70,000. Nobody has said who got it wrong or who paid.","\u002Fimages\u002Fmetro-tunnel-town-hall-platform.jpg","Orange arches above the crowded platform at Town Hall station in Melbourne's Metro Tunnel","$70k","Reported cost of replacing Metro Tunnel plaques after a wording error",[148,97,98],"metro-tunnel",{"path":150,"title":151,"description":152,"date":42,"category":9,"author":89,"image":153,"imageAlt":154,"bigNumber":155,"bigNumberLabel":156,"readingTime":157,"featured":94,"tags":158},"\u002Fstories\u002Fbig-build-cfmeu-15-billion-corruption-estimate","The $15 billion question: what corruption on Victoria's Big Build may have cost you","A senior barrister estimates criminal infiltration of the CFMEU added about $15 billion to Victoria's Big Build. The government disputes it. A premier has resigned, a royal commission is under way, and Victorians vote on 28 November.","\u002Fimages\u002Fbig-build-metro-tunnel-abeckett-street.jpg","Hoardings and a white shed around a Metro Tunnel construction site on A'Beckett Street in Melbourne","$15bn","Geoffrey Watson SC's estimate of what corruption may have cost taxpayers on Victoria's Big Build (disputed by the government)",6,[159,97,98,160,161,162],"cfmeu","corruption","royal-commission","organised-crime",{"path":67,"title":68,"description":164,"date":42,"category":9,"author":89,"image":165,"imageAlt":166,"bigNumber":167,"bigNumberLabel":168,"readingTime":169,"featured":94,"tags":170},"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.","\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","2.6x","North East Link's cost now, compared with the $10bn it was unveiled at in 2016",4,[171,97,98,172,101,99],"north-east-link","roads",1793703844448]