Hannah Hammoud
Brimbank has come out of the state budget with a number of wins, but a shadow continues to loom over big ticket infrastructure projects.
Delivering on an election promise, Sydenham-Hillside Primary School will receive funding of $9.5 million to upgrade and modernise existing school facilities, while there is also $7.4 million for University Park Primary School.
The budget includes $30.8 million for the Albion Station upgrade in the 2023-24 financial year, as part of the $80 million funding announcement made in 2022. However, the Sunshine Station masterplan was left without funding.
More than $10.6 million is set to go toward improving the Calder Freeway, however the project is pending the outcome of the Commonwealth Infrastructure Investment Program (CIIR) review which will decide if the funding gets axed.
Question marks continue to hang over the much anticipated Suburban Rail Link which has been allocated $600 million for the 2023-24 financial year but is also subject to the pending CIIR review.
The government plans to spend $46 million teaching the next generation of paramedics, including training an additional 40 Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance paramedics and establishing a Centre for Paramedicine in partnership with Victoria University, which council is gunning for to be based in Brimbank.
Sunshine Hospital will join seven other hospitals across the state in receiving new PET scanners as part of a $44 million investment.
The state budget has also provided funding to complete a business case for upgrading the Western Highway between Melton and Caroline Springs.
Brimbank will welcome one of six new tech schools to be built in Victoria, with a pool of $84 million in shared funding.
Leading up to the state budget, Brimbank council’s wish list included hopes for a new dog park in the Sydenham electorate and an upgrade of the 1st Deer Park Scouts facilities.
