Rail offices defended

THE State Government has defended stationing offices for the Cranbourne-Pakenham rail lines upgrade in Melbourne, rather than Dandenong.
A spokeswoman for Premier Denis Napthine said corporate offices were typically located in the CBD during the development phase of construction projects.
She said the location of site offices would be later determined by the private consortium, which is partnering the State Government on the project.
“The project will have significant benefits for south-east businesses and manufacturers – it will create more than 3,000 jobs during construction, as well as 100 ongoing jobs in the new Pakenham East maintenance depot,” she said.
This month, Dandenong MP John Pandazopoulos told State Parliament that the government had missed the chance to maximise local jobs and content on the Cranbourne-Pakenham rail upgrade project by not having offices in Dandenong.