A NUMBER of exciting projects in the Mildura electorate will benefit from the Victorian Government’s infrastructure stimulus spending, however the overall investment falls short of what our region deserves.
Member for Mildura Ali Cupper said Mildura residents would be particularly excited about funding for the next stage of the Mildura Riverfront Precinct, while some of the smaller towns in the electorate would also have projects funded.
The Mildura electorate projects are:
- $5 million towards Stage 1a of the Mildura Riverfront Precinct project which centres on the Village Square to include a new café, landscaping, carparking and public amenities;
- $800,000 to redevelop Ramsay House to accommodate migrants and other workers in the Mildura area and help address the housing shortfall for seasonal workers;
- $4 million to rejuvenate and enhance streetscapes in Buloke Shire towns including Birchip, Sea Lake and Wycheproof. This includes landscaping and art installations;
- $300,000 to create a Sea Lake Visitor Centre within the Buloke Shire Council office to attract tourists to the region;
- $43,000 to help complete the first stage of the Ouyen Community Gym project.
“The amount of money being invested in the Mildura electorate is significant, however we believe we deserved a bigger share of the $2.7 billion package, particularly in relation to our schools,” Ms Cupper said.
“But it’s just a hurdle. We have the budget coming up in October and I’ll continue to fight to ensure we get our fair share of big-ticket funding, including the Mildura South Regional Sporting Precinct, which will create about 200 local jobs.”
Other regional projects announced include $20 million for the Local Roads to Markets program for road and bridge upgrades; $7.5 million for rail track and signalling maintenance; $83 million to replace rail sleepers and ballast on key parts of the regional rail network; and $32.8 million for road safety to reduce landslips.
The Building Works Project also includes $500 million to build and upgrade more than 23,000 social housing properties across Victoria.
“Given the long-running rental crisis in our electorate and the scarcity of decent, affordable housing, we will be working hard to persuade the Government to invest a decent amount of that funding here,” Ms Cupper said.
