By Vanessa Chircop
HOT on the heels of Victoria’s Premier Ted Baillieu accusing the Federal Budget of shortchanging Victorians, Member for Gellibrand Nicola Roxon MP claims residents in her electorate will reap its rewards.
Mr Baillieu said the budget fails to allocate significant levels of funding to major Victorian infrastructure projects.
“Instead, it shortchanges Victoria by $1.9 billion on roads while confirming the complete or partial deferral of funding for two Victorian infrastructure projects.”
One project that has been funded is an M1 West Gate Freeway (Western Ring Rd to Williamstown Rd) upgrade to a level 3 Intelligent Transport System.
Ms Roxon said this budget was about responsibility and getting the economic fundamentals right.
She claimed patients in Gellibrand will have more access to affordable MRI services through the Federal Budget.
“From May 2012, Medicare will pay 100 per cent of the scheduled fee for all bulkbilled MRI scans at Western Hospital,” she said.
“And from November 2012 GPs will be able to refer children direct to Western Hospital for Medicare funded scans for a specified range of conditions without the child having to see a specialist first. This will save money and speed up diagnosis.”
Despite Hobsons Bay being largely overlooked on several fronts, Ms Roxon said specific funding had been allocated to disability services in Maribyrnong and Hobsons.
Through the Roads to Recovery programme, Hobsons Bay was allocated $341,015.
CEO of LeadWest Anton Mayer said there was not very much in the budget for the delivery of infrastructure for the rapidly growing western part of Melbourne.
“It would have been nice to see some greater recognition of the huge growth pressures that the West of Melbourne is under.”
