By Bonny Burrows
Funding of “critical” community infrastructure within Cardinia Shire will be slashed following a 50 per cent cut to the State’s Growing Suburbs Fund.
Over the past two years 76 parks, playgrounds, ovals, sports centres and community centres have been built or are under way in Melbourne’s growth corridors, including Cardinia Shire thanks to grants from the $50 million annual fund.
But in a blow to Cardinia Shire and another 10 interface councils experiencing population boom, 2 May’s State Budget revealed available funding for the next two years had been reduced to $25 million.
Cardinia Shire mayor and Interface Councils spokesperson Brett Owen said while the two-year commitment to the fund was welcome, the cash cut would halve the number of community projects funded.
This reduction was disappointing, he said, and would be heavily felt by outer suburban communities who already had “significantly less” than inner city areas.
“This means communities will face a much longer wait to see vital facilities such as community, youth and childcare centres, as well as recreational facilities, in their areas,” Cr Owen said.
While he is “grateful” for the projects funded, the mayor said there was still a significant backlog of projects in the pipeline which could miss out.
The ability to cut a $9.6 billion infrastructure gap between metropolitan and outer suburbs would also be decreased, he said as investment in Melbourne’s outer suburbs didn’t “reflect equal or adequate funding” to ensure infrastructure was on par.
“It feels like we’ve taken two steps forward in addressing the historic underinvestment in outer metropolitan Melbourne, and now we have taken one step back,” Cr Owen said.
“Without appropriate funding and policy, the social, economic and environmental challenges on Melbourne’s fringe will only get worse.”
A “not happy” State Bass MP Brian Paynter said that at a time the government was “gloating about surpluses” the cut didn’t make sense.
Instead, the local MP expected the fund – which he said was a good system and worked well – to be maintained and in the future, increased.
“Councils are struggling to fund infrastructure for growing suburbs as it is, particularly with rate capping,” Mr Paynter said.
He said as a result councils would have no choice but to put recreational infrastructure projects, often the lifeblood of a community, on hold.
“I know councils were planning to use the fund into the future … this decision will severely disadvantage our families and growing communities,” Mr Paynter said.
Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins said the fund would continue to help councils in the fastest growing suburbs invest in important infrastructure.
“We’re building and upgrading parks, playgrounds and libraries so Victoria’s growing communities don’t get left behind,” Ms Hutchins said.
