# Victorian government secretly raised public transport fares to fund controversial Suburban Rail Loop

https://mins.news/en/item/32458

- The Guardian, 2026-08-26 00:41 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/26/victoria-suburban-rail-loop-srl-public-transport-fare-levy-increase

> Victoria’s auditor-general says the government introduced a previously undisclosed 1% annual levy on public transport fares across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria from January 2025 to help fund the Suburban Rail Loop and other major projects. The report questions whether SRL East can meet its schedule and budget, saying its funding is opaque and costs are more likely than not to exceed $34.5bn.