By LAURA WAKELY
SUNSHINE Hospital was the only big winner in a State Budget that offered little for Brimbank.
The hospital will receive $3.1 million in 2013-2014 to kick off planning for a 13-bed intensive care unit (ICU) and two additional birthing suites.
The hospital will receive $12 million in future years to complete the project.
Western Health’s CEO Kathryn Cook said the hospital staff were “extremely pleased” with the budget announcement.
“There’s a huge need, particularly given the growing population in the West,” Ms Cooke said.
“To have these services provided closer to people’s own homes will really make a difference to patients and their families.”
Star revealed last month that 450 patients had to be transferred from Sunshine Hospital in the past financial year due to the lack of an ICU.
The other big project in the budget was a $500 million men’s prison to be built at Ravenhall by 2017, as reported by Star last week.
The budget also provided $8.5 million for the Western Ring Rd upgrade between the Western Highway and Sunshine Ave, $191,000 for the Kings Rd duplication between the Calder Freeway and Melton Highway and $616,000 on Kings Rd interchange at Calder Freeway.
Keilor MP Natalie Hutchins dubbed the budget a “shocker”.
“Ted Baillieu’s second budget is a horror budget for industry, commuters and families who were hoping for a government that would protect jobs in Keilor ,” Mrs Hutchins said.
She said the budget provided no new bus services or trains, no new funds for public housing and no jobs plan.
Kororoit MP Marlene Kairouz slammed the government for failing to fund grade separations at Main Rd, which, she said, was promised in November 2010.
She also said Caroline Springs had missed out on a train station, despite the population expected to grow by 25,000 people over the next 10 years.
