Bailleu - Ryan Budget Silent On Election Promises For Benambra
Member for Northern Victoria Region, Candy Broad said the Baillieu –Ryan Government’s first State Budget has failed to outline any plan for how they will ensure regional Victoria continues to grow and prosper into the future.
“Job creation and economic growth in regional Victoria does not just happen. It requires good planning from Governments, but sadly Mr Ryan and Mr Baillieu have failed to do so”, Ms Broad said.
Speaking in Parliament last night, Ms Broad said that in the lead up to the November 2010 election, the National and Liberal Parties made a number of promises to electors in Northern Victoria in the district of Benambra.
They included:
- $1.4 million to build a passing lane along the Wodonga-Corryong corridor of the Murray Valley Highway.
- $35,000 for the Eskdale Community Hall.
- $130,000 to construct safe access to fishing on Dartmouth Pondage.
- $15,000 to install air conditioning in the Bethanga Memorial Hall.
- $200,000 to upgrade facilities at the Corryong Youth Hall.
- $5.4 million to construct a new Belvoir Special Developmental School following the expenditure of $600,000 in the Budget for planning only.
“Given that there is no mention of funding for the implementation of these promises in the Baillieu-Ryan Budget for 2011-2012 and future years, I call on the Government to provide the Electors of Benambra with a timetable for their implementation”, Ms Broad said.
“This is information that electors have a right to expect to be provided in Budget papers”.
Ms Broad said that the Baillieu – Ryan Budget was also silent on the matter of funding for a number of schools that were not the subject of election promises. Nonetheless, funding is much needed in a number of places to help schools provide quality teaching and learning for the region.
“Those schools include Wodonga Senior Secondary College which needs funding to build on the former Government's investment in the two Middle-years Colleges, Huon and Felltimber”.
“A great deal of work has been done by parents, teachers and the whole school community and a final investment is now required in the Senior Secondary College”, she said.
“The Baillieu – Ryan Government has previously admitted to slashing $338 million from the education budget and walking away from the Victorian Schools Plan which would have seen every public school rebuilt or modernised by the end of 2016”, Ms Broad said.
“Wodonga Senior Secondary College along with the Yarrawonga and Barnawartha Primary Schools, which are also in much need of investment, have a right to know the intentions of the Baillieu – Ryan Government regarding future investment to help these schools provide quality teaching and learning for regional students”.
Ms Broad also called on the Baillieu – Ryan Government to indicate what its intentions were in relation to funding new fire stations at Barnawartha, Biggara, Gundowring, Bethanga, Eskdale, Leneva and Berringama, all of which would have received new fire stations under funding committed to by the former Government.