By BRIDGET COOK
A GROUP of outer Melbourne councils including Casey have released a Victorian Budget scorecard which they say highlights the shortfalls in funding required for the growth areas.
Interface Councils, a group of 10 outer Melbourne councils, which includes the City of Casey, claims the latest budget handed down an $893 million shortfall for the 1.3 million residents living in Melbourne’s outer suburbs.
The group has now launched a campaign in response, calling on the State Government to “fund Melbourne fairly”.
Interface spokesman David Gibb said residents in Interface suburbs were continuing to shoulder a lesser quality of life than other Melbournians because of the funding imbalance for basic services and critical infrastructure.
“We’re calling on the State Government to take some real steps to close the funding gap between the outer suburbs and the rest of Victoria,” he said.
“Investment of $1.831 billion was required in the latest Victorian Budget to address critical infrastructure requirements for Interface suburbs yet only $938 million has been allocated.
“This is a slap in the face to residents living in the outer suburbs who have been crying out for proper access to critical infrastructure including kindergartens, schools, tertiary education, health and public transport.”
Mr Gibb said if funding investment of $893 million was not forthcoming the compounding problem would eventually cost the government dearly in escalating social costs.
He said the potential under provision in the Interface area in the next four years, if funding shortfalls were not addressed, included 340 places in early childhood centres and kindergartens, 16,700 places in primary schools, 10,300 places in secondary schools and 420 hospital beds.
About 50 per cent of the funding required would need to come from the State Government, with the rest from Federal Government and private sector.
