AN election campaign led by Australia’s growth area councils is urging the federal government to fund basic infrastructure such as sporting fields and libraries.
The National Growth Areas Alliance, which includes Wyndham council, last week launched its Bring the Basics Within Reach campaign.
It has provided the government with a list of projects it says should have received federal funding, including stage two of the Wyndham Leisure and Events Centre redevelopment.
The council has started stage one of the redevelopment, which includes new swimming pools and a gym. But it was forced to shelve plans for a library and learning hub at the centre.
The hub now forms the second stage of the project, but mayor Heather Marcus has warned it cannot proceed without state and federal funding.
Cr Marcus, the alliance’s Victorian spokeswoman, said the campaign was about reminding the government that growth area communities deserved the same facilities as their inner-city counterparts.
She said libraries and sporting fields were basic facilities that all residents expected to be built.
“We are advocating for every growth area to be entitled to the same facilities as other areas.”
Cr Marcus said Wyndham residents continued to feel like second-class citizens. ‘‘We are the fastest-growing city in Australia. We need to get the message out that government needs to help us out.”
The alliance says that for every dollar invested in community networks, $10 is saved through better health of residents, lower unemployment and reduced crime.
