East Coast fast train at top of wishlist

An ambitious $59 billion project to link Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney by very fast train is at the top of a federal government wishlist for road and rail projects.
The proposal heads a priority list of 94 projects, worth $190 billion, selected by the government's Infrastructure Australia (IA), which was charged with sifting through 1,000 submissions.
Releasing the list on Friday, Transport Minister Anthony Albanese would not commit to any projects but said the preliminary report, compiled by IA chairman Sir Rod Eddington, would allow "further prioritisation".
Sir Eddington was frank, saying the global financial crisis would affect short-term plans.
But it would not hurt the long-term ambitions of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, he said.
"What we've been asked to do by the government is to provide a pipeline of projects for their consideration for one, two, three decades," Sir Rod told reporters.
"And I think it's very important that we don't confuse the need to get the right pipeline in place with the realities of short-term capital availability."
The short-list highlights projects in every state and territory, including rural and urban rail and roads, ports, energy, water, communications and indigenous affairs.
Most audacious is the very fast train plan linking east coast capitals, a massive project that has been a pipe dream of successive governments for about two decades.
If the plan does garner government support it has the potential to turn Canberra
into a dormitory suburb of Sydney with the two capitals just 90 minutes from each
other.
Other major projects include a long promised freight-only train line through
northern Sydney at a cost of $4 billion and a desalination plant for Adelaide which
would cost $2.4 billion.
At the bottom of the list is a $7.2 million bridge replacement in Adelaide.
Mr Albanese would not say how or when the money for the top projects would be
acquired, only that it would come from public and private entities.
"Well, to make it clear, the list that appears in this document is a list for
further prioritisation," Mr Albanese told reporters.
"We have said from day one that government cannot do it alone."
Opposition transport spokesman Warren Truss declared the list to be a "cruel hoax".
"There is no funding available for 96 per cent of the total cost of these projects,
the Rudd government's promise to fast-track key infrastructure is exposed as a
sham," Mr Truss said.
"Having spent almost the entire $20 billion surplus inherited from the former
coalition government, Mr Rudd's cupboard is now bare and his ability to address our
nation's infrastructure needs is now severely limited."
The Australian Greens also damned the short list, saying it locked the nation into a
"high-polluting" future.
Victoria was a significant winner with 19 of its projects on the list, including the
bulk of the Brumby government's recently unveiled $38 billion transport plan.
Among them is the $3.5 billion alternate to the West Gate Bridge and $3.5 billion
for the first stage of a rail tunnel from Footscray to Caulfield.
"Today's announcement shows that Victoria has developed an integrated transport plan
that has significant economic benefits for both the state and the nation," Victorian
Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky said.
Peak body Tourism and Transport Forum praised the commonwealth's interest in public
transport.
"Improving public transport capacity can help take cars off the road, while also
reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and commuter stress levels," forum chief
Olivia Wirth said.
"Having fast, efficient public transport and less crowded roads all add up to making
our cities and towns better places to live."
The top 94 projects will be the focus of Sir Eddington's final report, due to be
submitted to the federal government in March.