By VANESSA CHIRCOP
SCHOOLS and cemeteries are Hobsons Bay’s biggest winners in this year’s State Budget.
Laverton P-12 College has been allocated $4 million for its stage three regeneration, including the construction of a new gymnasium, but only $241,000 will be spent in the coming financial year.
A little under $10 million was allocated to Bayside College to complete existing works and $3.8 million will be spent this year on the highly anticipated construction of a P-12 autistic school to be co-located at the Laverton P-12 College site.
More than $4 million was allocated to be spent this year at the Altona cemetery with upgrades including the redevelopment of the chapel, café and florist development and new cremation equipment.
Scienceworks also came out a winner with funds allocated to upgrade the Melbourne Planetarium.
Despite $12.5 million being allocated to the West Gate Freeway, the budget has been slammed by Hobsons Bay’s local Members of Parliament for neglecting roads and transport in the West.
“There is a demonstrated need to fund an alternate to the West Gate Bridge, but Mr Baillieu has used this budget to drop the WestLink project as a priority in favour of a planning study to link the Eastern Freeway and CityLink,” said Member for Williamstown MP Wade Noonan.
“The budget contains no new funding to deliver additional public transport services, reduce road congestion, create jobs, build new kindergartens, improve our green spaces and recreational facilities, support our community centres, or increase the capacity for our local Williamstown Hospital.”
Member for Altona Jill Hennessy MP described the budget as a kick in the guts.
“Families have been crying out for investment in local roads and transport infrastructure. Despite this, not one cent has been provided in this year’s budget,” she said.
Despite these comments Member for Western Metropolitan Bernie Finn said residents in the West would benefit from the budget.
“In a particularly tough budgetary environment, money is tight, but we in Melbourne’s West are clearly on the Government’s radar,’’ Mr Finn said.
