WYNDHAM Council has called on the state government to halt the municipality’s growth until it is ready to fund more infrastructure projects.
Mayor Kim McAliney made the call after Wyndham was largely overlooked in last week’s state budget, despite being the fastest-growing area in Australia.
The city’s cries for funding to upgrade roads, boost bus routes and build extra schools were ignored by the government, which provided money for work at Galvin Park Secondary College and Werribee Open Range Zoo.
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Cr McAliney said the budget demonstrated a lack of understanding of the issues facing Wyndham.
“It is incredibly short-sighted of the state government not to fund infrastructure projects and services while our residents spend hours each week stuck in endless traffic jams, packed like sardines into infrequent trains and waiting for non-existent services to arrive,” she said.
“The pace of growth in the outer suburbs including Wyndham means we need new schools, new bus services and upgraded arterial roads each and every year, without fail.
“If the state wants a year off from providing the infrastructure, then stop the growth for a year.”
Lara MP John Eren backed the council’s call for a halt to Wyndham’s growth, saying infrastructure was already struggling to cope. “The budget didn’t have anything for Wyndham despite a minimal investment in education that was overdue,” he said.
Western Metropolitan Liberal MPs Andrew Elsbury and Bernie Finn said Wyndham and the western suburbs in general had benefited from the budget.
Mr Elsbury said the government was delivering for the people of the west where it was needed most – health, education and roads. Mr Finn said money was tight but the budget showed the west was clearly on the government’s radar.
