By XAVIER SMERDON
WYNDHAM Council has released its wish list for the upcoming State Budget and on top of the list is fixing the $1.3 billion arterial road backlog and building 25 new schools needed in the area.
The council’s submission to the 2014/15 budget included new figures which shed light on the pressures caused by population growth.
For example, from 2006 to 2011 Wyndham’s average population increase was 4.4 per cent – four times higher than the national average.
Wyndham Mayor Bob Fairclough said the municipality would be home to 25 per cent of metropolitan Melbourne’s projected population growth over the next few decades.
“There’s a significant backlog of required investment in transport infrastructure across the outer suburbs and, in Wyndham’s case, the arterial roads backlog is estimated at between $800 million and $1.3 billion,” Cr Fairclough said.
“Council has identified six key areas we believe need to be addressed in the lead-up to this year’s State election. These are roads, public transport, schools, health services, leisure and community services and an integrated justice precinct, including a new courthouse around Werribee Police Station.”
Cr Fairclough said arterial roads in Wyndham were “bursting at the seams”, but public transport was also lagging heavily.
“Bus services need to be extended to more areas of Tarneit, Truganina, Point Cook and Wyndham Vale, where approximately 12,000 households are still more than 400 metres from a bus stop,” he said.
“We’re calling for bus routes to be extended into the growing suburbs across Wyndham, but also for additional commuter parking around our train stations.”
Cr Fairclough said that Werribee Mercy hospital also needed funding for additional emergency, maternity and palliative care beds and additional mental health staff to cope with demand.
“The shortage of critical services also extends to crisis accommodation, where Wyndham has just four units serving a population of around 200,000,” he said.
“The government need to act now to provide the infrastructure and services Wyndham desperately needs to keep pace with our population growth.”
Victorian Treasurer Michael O’Brien did not answer questions about what Wyndham was likely to receive in the budget but did say that the council’s submission would be considered as part of the 2014-15 budget process.
