By BRIDGET COOK
EDUCATION was the big winner for Casey in the 2014-15 Victorian State Budget on Tuesday.
The State Government announced funding for three new primary schools in Casey – Casey Central East Primary School, Cranbourne South West Primary School and Heather Grove Primary School in Clyde North.
About $940,000 was also included in the budget for upgrades at Cranbourne West Primary School.
However other aspects of the budget have been met with disapproval from local Labor MPs, who say it has not done enough to address a number of needs for the Casey community including road upgrades, more beds for Casey Hospital and funding for Cranbourne Secondary College modernisation.
Speaking at the site of the new Casey Central East Primary School on Monday, Minister for Education Martin Dixon said the schools would be delivered in partnership with the private sector and are expected to open their doors to students in 2017 to 2018.
“As a former principal, the best part about the new schools is the maintenance of them as part of the contract,” he said.
“The consortium that wins the contract to build the schools will also be in charge of the maintenance of them for the next 25 years.
“That means principals can focus on education.”
Also announced in the budget for Casey was funding for the duplication of Sladen Street in Cranbourne, from Codrington Street to Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road, and more than $86 million for South East Water for recycled water projects and sewer and water system growth.
As announced earlier this year, $2-$2.5 billion was included in the budget for the Cranbourne-Pakenham Rail Corridor Project, which will boost capacity on the busy rail corridor by 30 per cent.
South Eastern Metropolitan Region MP Inga Peulich said the budget invested in significant projects that would help strengthen the local community.
“Premier Denis Napthine and the Victorian Coalition Government team are building a better Victoria by delivering a strong budget with record investment in our roads, rail, hospitals and schools, ensuring growth, jobs and opportunities in Melbourne’s south east,” she said.
The City of Casey welcomed the investment in local schools but has called for additional funding for Casey’s transport network.
Council spokesperson councillor Sam Aziz called for a greater investment to address Casey’s backlog of transport priorities.
“With over 450,000 people expected to call Casey home by 2036, council requires an urgent investment into transport priorities to meet the projected growth of the city,” he said.
“In the lead up to the Victorian election in November, council will call on the State Government and opposition to pledge funding commitments for key transport priorities including more frequent and direct bus services and arterial road duplications including Thompsons Road, Hallam Road and Narre Warren – Cranbourne Road.”
Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan said communities across the north of Casey have largely been ignored by this year’s state budget.
“The Napthine Government has failed to reverse its cuts to the Hallam station premium upgrade, delivering nothing in this year’s state budget,” he said.
“No major metropolitan road in the south-east will be completed this coming year, and funding for roads maintenance is still well below Labor’s last year in office.
“The Napthine Government has failed to provide any funding to remove the level crossings at Hallam Road, Hallam and Clyde Road, Berwick.”
Narre Warren South MP Judith Graley said the State Government had dismissed strong community campaigns to upgrade Thompsons Road, improve safety at the intersection of Pound and Shrives Road intersection and construct a pedestrian crossing on Pound Road.
Ms Graley said she was also disappointed that the budget failed to provide funding for a single new bed at Casey Hospital.
“Ambulances are taking hours to arrive; emergency patients are being crammed into hospital corridors and our loved ones are waiting longer than ever to be treated,” she said.
“The elective surgery waiting list at Casey Hospital has blown out with over 2000 people now waiting, joining thousands more across the state.”
Cranbourne MP Jude Perera said the budget did not fix the basics in Casey.
“Cranbourne Secondary College has been overlooked again,” he said.
“Our Casey Hospital is in crisis in view of the state and federal funding cuts, our Tafes are in pieces, our schools are falling apart, ambulances are taking too long and jobs are lost every day.
“There is no money for the completion of the much needed duplication of Thompson’s Road.”
