Outer Melbourne Councils (OMC), a coalition of 10 councils that includes Hume, Melton, Whittlesea and Wyndham, are calling on the state government to include funding for the growing suburbs fund in the upcoming budget.
Since its inception in 2015, the fund has contributed about $440 million to help councils on Melbourne’s outer ring to develop and improve local infrastructure such as parks, playgrounds, community centres and public toilets.
The fund was topped up by five million dollars last year, but has no funding has been allocated for future years.
The group wants the fund retained, guaranteed in budgets to come and greatly expanded.
OMC spokesperson and Cardinia mayor Jack Kowarzick said meeting the needs of Melbourne’s growing outer suburbs is not a year-to-year proposition.
“Five million dollars, even leveraged with co-investment from councils, doesn’t go far across the great swathe of Melbourne’s outer suburbs,” he said.
“The ‘big build’ might steal the spotlight, but building better neighbourhoods helps us where we live.”
Cr Kowarzick said that the program needs to be a staple in Victorian budgets going forward.
“Single year extensions and small ‘drip funding’ top-ups don’t provide the certainty our suburbs need,” he said.
“We need to see this program retained and extended over the long term.”
The Department of Transport and Planning were contacted.
