By XAVIER SMERDON
TARNEIT residents could miss out on a much-needed new library after the Federal Government announced it was scrapping the promised funding for the project.
In August last year the former Labor government committed $1.05 towards the Tarneit Community Learning Centre Library.
But last week it was revealed that the Abbott Government would not be going ahead with the project.
Wyndham Council CEO Kerry Thompson said with Tarneit expected to grow to over 33,000 residents by 2016 and 43,000 by 2021, the municipality desperately needed the new library.
“Wyndham City is extremely disappointed with the Federal Government’s decision to withdraw $1 million funding for the construction of a library at the Tarneit Community Learning Centre,” Ms Thompson said.
“Construction of the library is still planned to go ahead as it is a critical piece of infrastructure that supports our growing community in Tarneit, however Wyndham City will now need to consider how to fund the $1 million gap left by withdrawal of this funding.”
Member for Lalor Joanne Ryan described the funding cut as “heartless”.
“This funding was to be used to construct a library designed to meet the needs of our rapidly growing region and the very new community of Tarneit,” Ms Ryan said.
“It would have meant the City of Wyndham could continue to demonstrate to every family the value of literacy. And it would have meant a place to come together, particularly for some of our more isolated residents.
“But because of the callous and heartless attitude of the Abbott Government, funding for this project had been cut.”
But a spokesperson for the Federal Minister for Regional Development, Warren Truss, said residents would not expect a Coalition Government to fund a previous Labor Government’s promise.
“Naturally, the new government will honour all of our election commitments but we are not tied to the promises made by Labor. No one would seriously expect us to be,” the spokesperson said.
“In fact, Labor only promised the Tarneit Library on 29 August 2014 (under Round 5B), well into the election campaign and just days before polling day.
“Labor recklessly promised RDA projects all over the country in the lead-up to and during the federal election, in the full knowledge that they would never deliver them.”
