By Charlene Gatt
BRIMBANK mayor Sam David has given the State Government’s 2008-09 budget a nod despite saying the annual funding is “never enough”.
“I think it’s a good budget from Brimbank’s point of view. It’s never enough – you want to have as much as possible and it doesn’t always happen,” he said.
“Budgets for some people are not very welcome, are not very good. Over the years, when the commonwealth and state governments put out budgets, yes, there’s certain things you don’t like to see, but overall I’m satisfied.”
Although Cr David wouldn’t specify what he would have liked to see come from the budget, he particularly praised the Government’s decision to allocate $73.5 million towards the second stage of Sunshine Hospital’s proposed $184 million redevelopment, saying the money was desperately needed.
“I’m very happy with the $73 million in reference to stage two of the Sunshine Hospital, especially with the creation of teaching facilities,” he said.
The money will be used to develop the western suburb’s first radiotherapy unit and a teaching, training and research facility.
Other budget initiatives to affect Brimbank include a stamp duty cut of nearly 17 per cent, a regional food kitchen and a new MICA responder unit and paramedic team in Hillside.
On the schools front, the budget provided money for an amalgamated primary school in Sunshine East, a Springside campus for Caroline Springs College and new primary schools in Taylors Hill and Derrimut.
