By KATH GANNAWAY
THE Yarra Valley will benefit from across the board funding announced in last week’s state 2014-15 budget, according to Seymour Liberal MP and endorsed candidate for the new seat of Eildon Cindy McLeish.
In terms of targeted funding for Yarra Valley communities, Ms McLeish said full details would be rolled out over time.
Infrastructure and services for rural communities is an issue, however, that Labor Party candidate for Eildon Sally Brennan says will be put under the microscope as the state moves towards the November election.
The largest single item in the budget was $3.2 million to establish the Yellingbo Conservation Area to protect the helmeted honeyeater and lowland Leadbeater’s possum.
Steels Creek and East Warburton could have a share of the $40 million Regional Connectivity Program to help fix mobile phone black spots of which $24 million is available to rural communities dependent on the Federal Government allocating funding from its $100 million black spot program.
At this stage the Federal Government is still working through which rural communities will get funding, but Ms McLeish said she would expect the two bushfire affected townships at either end of the valley to be a high priority.
Ms McLeish said there was funding in the budget for health, of which Healesville Hospital benefited, for tourism, which again would benefit Yarra Ranges region, and for payroll relief which would benefit the small business sector.
Money for the CFA and to increase prison capacity, money to combat methamphetamine use, for mental health, $1.2 billion for education and training, and support for families were all budget initiatives which she said would benefit all Victorians, including those in the Yarra Valley.
“With a lot of what’s been allocated in the budget, things will continue to be rolled out.
“When you look at the $5.5 for landcare, that’s providing 16 support staff for the two years and that groups can apply for as part of that funding,” she said.
Ms Brennan, however, said rural communities have borne the brunt of a budget that is more about creating a surplus than providing for real needs of rural people.
“If you look at infrastructure, 25 per cent of Victorians live in the country, but they have got just 4 per cent of the total infrastructure budget.
“There is no TAFE presence in Eildon and what does that mean for the people who live in regional areas like Alexandra and Mansfield, and Healesville.”
She said improved transport, particularly increased bus services, was a huge issue which was not funded.
Ms Brennan said some of the areas for which there is an acute need in rural areas are increased MICA ambulances, funding for kindergarten hours and education.
Ms McLeish said people need to wait and see what the budget delivers when the details are outlined but added that the current budget was real money committed now.
“We haven’t started on election commitments yet,” she said.
