Casey will be allocated $39 million for its local bus network and $6 million for community infrastructure in the latest round of the Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution (GAIC) fund.
The State Government announced a more than $400 million package through the GAIC fund on Wednesday 24 April for Melbourne’s fastest-growing suburbs in the seven major growth area councils of Cardinia, Casey, Hume, Melton, Mitchell, Whittlesea, and Wyndham. The GAIC fund is a one-off contribution payable by landowners developing land that has been zoned for urban use and development in these council areas.
Bus Route 831 will benefit from about $23 million to see its service extended on Casey Bells Road. Route 798 will be extended to Clyde North via Hardys Road with a funding of about $16 million.
The community infrastructure development will include $1 million for Craig Road shared user path design and construction, $555k for Soldiers Road shared user path and $4 million for land acquisition for the new CFA Clyde Fire Station.
“While we create the conditions for 800,000 new homes to be built over the next decade, we’re delivering schools and health services, parks and playgrounds – the community facilities and open spaces that families need,” Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny said.
City of Casey manager city and asset planning Keri New said the City of Casey did not rely upon GAIC revenue to support the delivery of local infrastructure.
“Local infrastructure for growth area communities is funded from council rates, developer contribution funds under approved contribution plans, and where possible State and Federal Government grants,” she said.
“The State Government’s dashboard on growth areas infrastructure contributions indicates that so far $199.79 million has been collected in the City of Casey, with a further $213.89 million committed.
“Most funds are allocated to state agencies for state infrastructure. The dashboard also shows a breakdown of where funds have been committed.
“To date, council has been able to access $5 million of those funds, with a further $1,889,533 for shared user path connections in Botanic Ridge and Berwick recently announced.”
Shadow Minister for Outer Suburban Growth Evan Mulholland said the State Government had left growing suburban communities starved of the basic transport, health, education, and emergency service infrastructure other parts of Victoria enjoyed for years.
“We have communities patrolling their own neighbourhoods because there is no police station, locals who have no bus services and are stuck on V/Line trains, estates with no access to maternal and child health beyond eight weeks and residents waiting over an hour in traffic to get out of their own estates all because Labor has been hoarding these developer funds for years to prop up the budget,” he said.
