Premier confirms levy, which was intended to help pay for the multibillion-dollar Suburban Rail Loop and other Big Build projects, will be abolished Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, has announced he will abolish a levy secretly slapped on public transport users 18 months ago to help pay for the Suburban Rail Loop, as experts warn it is too late for the state to back out of the costly project. The existence of the levy was revealed in an auditor general’s report tabled in parliament on Wednesday , which also cast doubt on whether the first stage of the multibillion-dollar project – a 26km stretch of twin tunnels from Cheltenham to Box Hill dubbed SRL East – can be delivered