Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan this week announced that Cross Yarra Partnership has signed a contract to finance, design, construct and maintain the Tunnel and Stations Package for 25 years as part of the Metro Tunnel Project.

The Metro Tunnel Project will be Victoria’s biggest ever public transport project and Cross Yarra Partnership will deliver twin nine-kilometre tunnels and five new underground stations at North Melbourne (Arden), Parkville, State Library, Town Hall and Anzac.

Cross Yarra Partnership, a consortium of Lendlease, John Holland, Bouygues Construction and Capella Capital, was announced as the preferred tenderer for the $6 billion Tunnel and Stations Public Private Partnership in July 2017.

MinterEllison, led by partners Stewart Nankervis and Paul Paxton, acted as the consortium's legal advisors for the Cross Yarra Partnership throughout the tender process and through to successful financial close. MinterEllison is pleased to have been involved in what is one of the most complex infrastructure procurement projects ever delivered in Victoria, from both a legal and commercial perspective.

The MinterEllison team of over 50 lawyers, drew on expertise from the firm nationally to advise on challenging issues including major interfaces across the entire Victorian transport network and various international components of the Project. Over the past 12 months the team have been working close together with the consortium members and their financiers to bring innovative solutions that have helped successfully close a project that will bring great benefits to the people of Victoria.

Mr Nankervis said "We want to congratulate both the Victorian Government and the Cross Yarra Partnership, as well as the many individuals involved, on reaching this significant milestone. It was a pleasure for MinterEllison to be integrally involved with the consortium in delivering commercial and legal solutions on a project of this size and complexity."

Mr Paxton said "The Project was one of the most challenging and rewarding we have ever worked on and we are genuinely pleased to have had the opportunity to contribute to such a landmark infrastructure transaction. Having the ability to draw on our national expertise allowed us to work collaboratively through issues as they arose and help get the deal signed this year."