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Country Victoria Starved By State BudgetThe high taxing, high spending Labor Government has indulged in a pre-election spending spree that delivers very little to country Victoria. By Phillip Davis & Denis Napthine - 31st May 2006 - Back to News Country Victorians will be shocked to see today’s Labor Government repeating the same mistakes of the Cain/Kirner Government, sending Victoria back into debt of an additional $5.6 billion, spending record amounts and putting additional expenditure on the Victorian credit card.
Spending on primary industries has been cut by a whopping $28 million, in a move that has insulted farmers and country Victorians.
There is no new initiative to address the rural doctor shortage. Hospitals in south-west and south-east Victoria have missed out on funding, despite community expectations.
Country Victorians will be paying more in fire services levy, even though the Victorian Government cannot manage public land.
No financial support has been offered to country councils, who have been crying out for assistance with country road and bridge infrastructure. Labor obviously does not see road safety to be important in country Victoria, despite road and bridge infrastructure being identified by the Victorian Farmers Federation as a top budget priority.
Country councils have also struggled to keep community libraries afloat, but literacy in country Victoria is not a high priority for the Labor Government.
The re-announcement of free public transport for seniors on Sundays within the Melbourne CBD and regional cities is of no benefit to those living in country Victoria. Senior country Victorians are being unfairly discriminated against by the Labor Government.
No funds have been allocated to address the water crisis in Ballarat and Geelong, and the Labor Government has also ignored the need for urgent infrastructure in country Victoria’s irrigation districts to stop water seepage and evaporation.
The Government is splurging money on attracting tourists to Melbourne with nothing identified that will assist country tourism.
Nothing has been offered to the country towns across the length and breadth of Victoria which were promised reticulated natural gas in 2002. They have missed out. Similarly, there is no assistance for those communities who have found only half of their towns are being connected.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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