THE 2013-14 state budget has delivered a mixed bag for Melbourne’s western suburbs.
Tabling the Napthine government’s first budget yesterday, new Treasurer Michael O’Brien confirmed funding for dental care and the west’s first dedicated P-12 autism school.
But the truck action plan to divert trucks off residential streets is dead in the water and no money has been provided for any other major inner-west projects, such as upgrades to the Western Hospital.
A highlight for the west was $9.7 million for Western Region Health Centre (WRHC) to build a new dental clinic after years of lobbying by both sides of government.
Families of children with autism were overjoyed at $8 million funding for a prep to year 12 autism school at Laverton. It will cater for 140 students and will service Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton, Moonee Valley and Wyndham.
Autism Schools Action co-founder Elizabeth Websdale, an Altona Meadows mother of two children with autism, said the seven-year campaign had been fought for the next generation of children. “It’s a relief after we fought for so long,” she said. “It’s really good news and a relief that finally they’ve announced stage two.”
Action for Autism Education founders, Werribee couple Danny Sorbello and Angela Hickey-Sorbello, welcomed the news of a further $8 million.
“For some kids, a mainstream school is never going to be an option,” Ms Hickey-Sorbello said.
“This provides choice for parents, to choose what’s the best education setting for their child.” Western suburbs Liberal MP Bernie Finn said the school, co-located on the Laverton P-12 College site, would open mid-2014 for years 4-7.
The budget included $294 million over two years for the eastern stage of the east-west link, defying calls to start the link in the west, instead connecting Hoddle Street with CityLink.
Western suburbs Liberal MP Andrew Elsbury defended the decision to fund the eastern section first. “We had to start somewhere. We have got this first stage under way and that will improve traffic by diverting people away from the M1 corridor.”
Construction would begin late next year and finish around 2019.
Western suburbs Greens MP Colleen Hartland said the government had dropped the ball on public transport.
“They’re building a dirty great tunnel that trucks won’t even use if they’re trying to avoid tolls.”
Williamstown MP Wade Noonan said the budget contained no new funding to reduce congestion on roads and public transport, to improve local schools or prop up healthcare services.
“The so-called east-west link will come nowhere near the west. What’s proposed is to build a link between the Eastern Freeway and CityLink — not a second river crossing as Labor proposed to take pressure off the West Gate corridor,” he said.
“The tragic part of this budget is that the Liberals have removed the $40 million that the previous Labor government allocated for the first stage of the truck action plan. Up to this point, the project has had a faint heartbeat, but with a stroke of a pen this government has killed it off.”
Altona MP Jill Hennessy said the budget failed to deal with the blowout in ambulance response times or fund any mainstream schools or local roads.
