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Darren Chester meets Wellington Shire Council to address infrastructure priorities and concerns over reduced funding

Darren Chester met with Wellington Shire Council to discuss priority infrastructure projects, raising concerns over reduced regional funding under the Albanese government and stressing the need for a strong project pipeline.

By news@gippsland - 11th August 2025 - Back to News

Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester says he's keen to work with Wellington Shire Council on priority infrastructure projects, but is concerned about the lack of funding under the Albanese government.

Pictured (from left): Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester, Wellington Shire Deputy Mayor Cindy Madeley and Mayor Scott Rosetti

Collaborative project planning

At a meeting with all councillors and senior staff, Mr Chester said it was important for council to develop a pipeline of local projects in order to seek matching funding from other levels of government. "It was great to catch up with the entire council team at Wellington Shire and discuss future plans. Over the years, we've worked together to deliver some fantastic projects across the region with a mix of local and federal government funding."

"Projects like the Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Centre, Sale library and art gallery redevelopment, York St safety upgrades, East Sale RAAF Base basic pilot training and the Sale Aquatic Centre required us to work in partnership to deliver for the benefit of the region."

"It's always good to know what projects are on the council's list so I can seek grant opportunities in Canberra, although I must acknowledge there's not many regional funding opportunities at the moment under Prime Minister Albanese," Mr Chester said.

Funding regional development

Mr Chester said the lack of funding for regional development across Australia was a major issue for local councils. "The Labor Party has cut funding at state and federal levels, and without a guaranteed funding stream, it becomes difficult to develop a pipeline of projects to improve our road network and community infrastructure

"I will be keeping the pressure on Canberra for additional funding to improve the transport network and local facilities, which will make our region a more attractive place to live and visit," he said.

Pictures from Darren Chester MP website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com