By Belinda Nolan
PLANNING for the removal of the notorious St Albans level crossing is among a handful of projects funded for Brimbank under the new State Budget.
But community leaders have slammed the lack of projects designated for the city, with roads, schools, and public transport all missing out.
Detailed design work to remove the treacherous crossing was the big ticket item for Brimbank in the Coalition’s first Budget, handed down by Treasurer Kim Wells last week.
A total of $16.5 million has been committed for the next financial year towards eliminating the State’s worst level crossings, with major construction work to be funded in 2013 after detailed design work is completed.
The St Albans community has been fighting for the Main Rd crossing to be removed for more than a decade following a string of deaths and serious accidents at the site.
But despite the win, campaigners were less than jubilant last week.
St Albans Trader Traders Association Secretary Asip Demiri told Star he had initially been overjoyed at the announcement but had been disappointed to learn that the money would be spent on planning.
“I don’t know why the government needs to fork out all this money on planning,” Mr Demiri said.
“The previous government has already done planning. This community has had a gutful of planning. We want action now.”
Under the new budget, Sunshine Hospital will receive $900,000 to build a new four-bed mental health unit to take the pressure off the Emergency Department.
The hospital was also allocated almost $70 million towards the next stages of its expansion and redevelopment.
Victoria University’s Sunshine campus also scored a win, with $10.2 million promised to build its Technical Trade Centre.
Meanwhile, $18.7 million was earmarked for the next stage of the M80 Ring Rd upgrade between the Western Highway and Sunshine Ave.
The Western Autistic School will be extended to include a secondary campus.
While acknowledging local triumphs, Brimbank Administrator Peter Lewinsky said he would have liked to have seen a greater investment in schools, health services, roads and public transport in the West.
“We are disappointed that the infrastructure funding for schools including Sunshine Secondary College and Victoria University Secondary College were not forthcoming and also that the issue of dealing with problem gambling was not tackled,” he said.
Brimbank’s police stations also missed out on funding, along with the Caroline Springs Railway Station.
Although the much-touted Regional Rail Link was listed in the Budget, the government has not yet placed a figure on how much will be allocated for the project in 2011-12.
Delahey Action Group spokesman David Anderson said the Budget failed to deliver any relief for Brimbank’s crumbling public transport system.
LeadWest CEO Anton Mayer said he was concerned by a lack of investment in infrastructure and community services for the West. But Western Metropolitan MP Bernie Finn said the Budget had lived up to the Coalition’s election pledges and promised the next one would deliver more new projects for the West.
