A document supplied exclusively to the ABC has revealed potential delays to the Victorian government's signature rail project. Business owners along the suburban rail loop corridor have been told it will be almost an extra year before the government takes possession of their properties. Experts say it raises questions about the wider health of the controversial and costly project.
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00:00Bustling Box Hill.
00:04People try and keep away from the construction site and because at night it's very dark on
00:11the street so some people may think we're already closed.
00:16Michael Yu runs a hot pot and skewer restaurant, but the building's due to be knocked down
00:21to make way for the suburban rail loop.
00:23We're trying very hard to find a new property, but a lot of other businesses in the local
00:30area are just competing with each other.
00:32The eviction date was initially in December, then it was pushed to July next year and now
00:39a letter from the Suburban Rail Loop Authority offering a further reprieve.
00:43The government to take possession in September next year, nine months later than first planned.
00:49We believe some further work's been done by the authority to look at its programming
00:55and not only Michael but other properties have received correspondence extending it
00:58out yet again to September of 2025.
01:03What may be about to happen is that we may see that there's a pause or a pushing out
01:08of the finish date and in my opinion that'd make a lot of sense.
01:12The government insists the first leg of the SRL will be up and running on time in 2035
01:18and on budget under $35 billion, despite cost blowouts on other major projects.
01:25The price tag for the entire suburban rail loop remains a mystery.
01:29This project is ruinously expensive and we still don't have a viable way to pay for it.
01:35In Burwood, Carlo Corallo's 13 townhouses have already been demolished.
01:41The land his migrant father first bought, now a building site.
01:45He and mum saw it as an opportunity of putting together a retirement fund and so we thought
01:54that it would be a nice thing for us also to continue that legacy.
01:59A lost legacy he hopes pays off for the community.