Western Metropolitan MP Catherine Cumming called on Werribee MP and Treasurer Tim Pallas to explain why the state budget did not include funding for a new pool in the municipality.
Speaking in state Parliament on Wednesday, June 22, Dr Cumming questioned why Wyndham council had not been allocated funding for the pool as part of the 2022-23 budget.
Dr Cumming said it was “vitally important” that residents continued to have access to community health centres.
“They help them get connected to their community, they help them to make friends and they help them to get out and about, especially in this Melbourne weather, where it is constantly four seasons in one day,” she said.
“However, the development of housing growth in Wyndham has outpaced the development of community and sports infrastructure.
“Wyndham has a population of over 300 000 residents, and almost half of these residents were born overseas, from 162 different countries.”
A Wyndham council spokesperson said facilities that enable the community to live an active lifestyle were a “key feature” of council’s capital works program.
“Wyndham’s future planning identifies that four new indoor facilities need to be built between now and 2045,” the spokesperson said.
“Early planning has begun for a third aquatic facility to accommodate rapid growth in the municipality.
“Due to the high cost of such proposed facilities, council will require state and federal government assistance to fund such long-term projects.”
Mr Pallas said the government had invested $1 million into community sport at Galvin park, and $3 million for a new pavilion, soccer fields, and cricket ground in Truganina.
“We are backing the people of Wyndham as we have done every single day since coming to office,” Mr Pallas said.
“We’ll keep talking to the council about future plans while noting that funding public pools is primarily a responsibility of local governments.”
