LATEST: Inner-west roads and schools emerged as winners in Tuesday’s state budget.
The biggest single spend was $38.5 million to widen Footscray’s Whitehall Street and strengthen and widen Shepherd Bridge with new pedestrian and cycling lanes, with $16 million allocated this year.
Western Region Health Centre will receive $7.4 million to complete the $9.7 redevelopment of its Footscray dental clinic, but there is no funding for the redevelopment of Footscray Hospital.
A further $3 million will be spent upgrading the Altona treatment plant and $2 million on redeveloping the Altona Memorial Park chapel and crematorium complex.
In keeping with its pre-election promise, Labor has allocated $1.6 million towards an integrated children’s hub in Altona.
Altona MP Jill Hennessy said the one-stop shop would include long day care, a kindergarten, maternal child health services, playgroups, and parenting, intervention and family support services.
Labor allocated $1 million of the total $15 million pre-election commitment for planning and feasibility works to commence on the new Footscray Education Precinct as well as contributing $500,000 towards a theatre at Williamstown High School (WHS) and $300,000 to upgrade the technology wing at Bayside P-12 College in Williamstown.
WHS principal Gino Catalano said the budget announcement gave the school extra cause to celebrate in its centenary year.
He said the centenary theatre would enable the school to leave a legacy to the community for the next 100 years.
“We were holding off on going ahead to tender to builders and now with this news we’ll be able to start that process immediately,” he said.
“I think we’ll have the builders on site in October and the project will be completed towards the end of next year, so it’s really exciting for the school.”
He said the theatre, officially known as the Performing Arts Centre of Excellence, would be used by students from Melbourne’s west undertaking university extension subjects.
“We’re going to hire it out to community groups … we really want to develop that community partnership.”
Bayside College principal Andrew Harnett said he was thrilled about the money for a technology upgrade at the junior campus.
“It will have a significant impact on the student learning here at the college,” he said.
Melissa Horne, president of the SKY High lobby group, said the group welcomed the $1.5 million commitment towards relocating Footscray City College to a new education precinct linking Victoria University’s Nicholson campus with Footscray City Primary School.
She said the state government has indicated SKY High will be part of the committee investigating the feasibility of the proposal.
“It’s an investment that’s going to meet the needs of SKY [Seddon, Kingsville and Yarraville] kids.”
Williamstown MP Wade Noonan said the 2015-16 budget included record investment in education.
“These projects honour our election commitments and will deliver real benefits for local families.”
