Seventy-five new jobs will be created at LS Precast in Benalla to support the production of massive concrete sections that will be used to create the Suburban Rail Loop.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for the SRL, Harriet Shing, visited LS Precast – Victoria’s largest precast concrete manufacturing facility on Friday, July 4 – to announce it has been chosen to supply concrete segments for the southern section of twin tunnels between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley.
“The Suburban Rail Loop is a project made by Victorians, for Victorians – and it will deliver thousands of jobs to support working families right across the state,” Ms Allan said.
“And a big part of the project is going to be delivered right here at LS Precast in Benalla.”
More than 96,000 concrete segments will be produced in Benalla to build the 16-kilometre section of twin tunnels that will slash travel times and take thousands of cars off local roads.
The facility is set to build 170 segments a day, securing jobs for more than 75 local workers and creating even more jobs across the supply chain – with production of the segments set to kick off in October as crews prepare for tunnelling to begin in 2026.
“We're really pleased to announce that that the team here (at LS Precast), because of their great skills and expertise, have secured the contract to be part of the delivery of the Cheltenham to Glen Waverley stretch of the SRL east,” Ms Allan said.
LS Precast was built in 2018 to support Victoria’s Big Build, and it has already supplied 49,000 concrete products for the West Gate Tunnel Project and is currently manufacturing more than 46,000 concrete segments for the North East Link Project.
Ms Allan said companies like LS Precast survive and thrive thanks to the State Government’s investment in major transport projects – including the Suburban Rail Loop.
“At full tilt, there'll be something like 170 segments a day being pumped out of this factory (LS Precast) to head down to the construction site to be laid as part of the tunnel boring machine work,” she said.
“Each segment weighs about four tonnes, the equivalent of four rhinoceroses in weight.
“It gives you a sense of the huge amount of work that's going to be driven out of this site here in Benalla.”
The SRL will slash congestion, cut travel times, connect two of Australia’s largest universities to rail, build 70,000 more homes – and deliver more jobs in regional Victoria.
Minister for Suburban Rail Loop, Housing and Building, Harriet Shing, said Brad Battin and the Liberals want to cancel the SRL.
“And that means sacking hundreds of people in Benalla and thousands across Victoria,” she said.
“I want to thank everybody who's part of the team here at LS Precast, who are doing that work in partnership with Suburban Connect, the Suburban Railroad Authority and of course, the Victorian government in partnership with the Federal government, who's contributed $2.2 billion into a project that Infrastructure Australia has recognised as a priority.
“LS Precast has also worked really closely with the community to manage noise and disruption and to continue to do this work and deliver local jobs, while also making sure that the amenity and the livability of this area is accommodated.”