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Danny O'Brien urges Premier Jacinta Allan to prioritise Gippsland in Victorian budget with emphasis of education, infrastructure and transport

Danny O'Brien urges Premier Jacinta Allan to prioritise Gippsland in the upcoming State Budget, emphasising the need for funding in education, infrastructure, and transport to address long standing issues in the region.

By news@gippsland - 26th April 2024 - Back to News

The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O'Brien says the coming State Budget on May 7 provides the Allan Labor government an opportunity to prove its claims that it governs for all Victorians. Mr O'Brien said Premier Jacinta Allan has an opportunity, with the release of her first State Budget as Premier, to do what her predecessor Daniel Andrews never did and provide a fair share for Gippslanders.

O'Brien criticises Labor for neglecting Gippsland, urging Premier Allan to prioritise the region in the State Budget, highlighting fiscal concerns

Funding for key projects

Mr O'Brien said, "Leaving the obvious problem of our roads aside for one moment, there are a number of key projects across Gippsland South that have needed funding for quite some time. We have local primary schools like Foster that have been in desperate need of funding for a rebuild for over a decade and other schools like Sale College and the stadium at Mirboo North that need a full financial commitment."

"We're also keen to see if the government keeps its election promise of $11.7 million funding for Leongatha Secondary College," he said.

Demanding better for Gippsland

Mr O'Brien said it was clear Labor thinks regional Victoria is Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo and this was a chance for Premier Allan to do better by Gippslanders. "The Labor government has a history of forgetting Gippsland exists until it's time to find a backyard for a wind farm or transmission line.

"The State Budget must do better to address the needs of Gippsland South and deliver on key projects. Unfortunately Labor can't manage money and we are already hearing this will be a tough budget for Victorians," Mr O'Brien said.

Funding Gippsland's needs

Mr O'Brien said projects he was hoping would be funded include:

• New Sale College
• Rebuild of Foster Primary School
• Additional train services to and from Sale
• New fire stations for Mirboo North and Foster
• Stage 2 of the Leongatha heavy vehicle bypass
• Mirboo North gymnasium
• Local road improvements including a Toora over-taking lane

Mr O'Brien said these were just a few of the projects that needed to be funded in the budget. "Gippsland punches above its weight in terms of its economic contribution to Victoria but under this government it has not received the attention it deserves.

"Our roads in particular are a big problem and need to be addressed, we need the Labor government to stop reducing the regional roads budget as it has done consecutively in previous budgets. We need improvements right across the board for Gippsland in roads, public transport and educational facilities to support our local community," he said.

Pictures from Sale College Facebook page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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