The Morrison government should crack open the $3 billion “locked box” of federal funding earmarked for the dumped East West Link to fund other infrastructure projects, says Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.

In a letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, ahead of a Council of Australian Governments meeting on population on Wednesday, Mr Andrews says discussing population growth in Victoria is “meaningless” without a Commonwealth commitment to properly fund required infrastructure.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Over the past five years, Victoria’s share of Commonwealth infrastructure funding has fallen to about 10 per cent, despite its 25 per cent - and growing - share of the population, Mr Andrews writes in the letter.

Mr Andrews asks that this funding be available for the North East Link, and notes the Commonwealth has a $1.75 billion commitment to the project - roughly 10 per cent of the project’s cost - and less than the “traditional 50 per cent state-Commonwealth split”.