Local funding hoped for in budget

HEALTH, infrastructure, schools, and the environment feature in local wish-lists ahead of Tuesday’s state budget as Victorians brace for further belt tightening. Strathbogie Shire is seeking state government funding to help in the growth of Euroa by investing $3.5m in expanding the town’s potable water infrastructure as well as $2m for building a mobile phone town in Mitchelstown in collaboration with Telstra. Two pedestrian rail crossings at Avenel need a $3m safety upgrade on Bank Street and Ewings Road, which may include a carpark upgrade. Larger budget projects include $7.5m for repairing Kirwans Bridge outside of Nagambie to its pre-flood structural status and $20m for upgrading the AusNet power line between Seymour and Benalla. The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) is high on the list of Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland, with her calling for funding to ensure the 97-year-old community transport system stays in operation. Ms Cleeland said the RFDS was set to run out of funding in June, which would leave thousands of regional Victorians without the service. A four-year funding proposal had been put to the government by the RDFS to ensure its 12 staff could continue to operate 22,000 trips each year for its 1500 active clients. The RFDS is also hoping to expand its area of service across the state by extending its reach to 48 LGAs which will allow for another 6000 clients. At present the service covers only 12 LGAs. Ms Cleeland said the continued historical support of the RFDS was ‘not negotiable’ and that questions put by her to Minister of Health Mary-Anne Thomas regarding a commitment had not been answered. “For many vulnerable and isolated people without access to public transport, this service is the difference between receiving critical medical care or missing out entirely,” Ms Cleeland said. Also in the Nationals’ sights was education, with funding sought for primary school upgrades and establishment of secondary colleges. “We are hoping to see improvements to our local schools prioritised for the benefit of our entire region,” Ms Cleeland said. With the Euroa electorate also featuring prominently in surveys of road conditions last year that pinpointed some of the state’s worst roads, the coalition is hoping for an increase in funding for road repairs. With 105 fatalities on Victorian roads so far this year, rural and regional areas have seen a 7 per cent increase in fatal accidents. According to the RACV My Country Road Survey, the Goulburn Valley Highway between Nagambie and Shepparton was the fourth most mentioned road in the entire state with respect to safety concerns such as potholes, road condition, and intersection safety. The Victorian State Budget for 2025/26 will be released on Tuesday, 20 May. Ms Cleeland said she hoped the budget would see the government taking regional Victoria ‘more seriously’.

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