Elsie Lange
There were mixed fortunes for Sunbury and the Macedon Ranges in the state budget released on Tuesday, May 3.
Diggers Rest Primary School is one of the winners, with $13.4 million in funding allocated for modernisation, to “deliver [the] next stage of the planned upgrade of existing facilities”.
Sunbury MP Josh Bull said it was an “incredibly significant and important announcement” for the Diggers Rest Primary School and community.
“The funding will be used to build the new school community hub and senior student learning area,” Mr Bull said.
“I’ve been working with the school for a number of years and previously we committed over $3 million for stage one upgrades and this investment will finish the job, taking Diggers Rest from a good school to a great school for our growing community.”
Another winner in the region is Jacksons Hill in Sunbury, set to receive $2.2 million for protection and restoration works at the historic site, which was once home to the former Sunbury Lunatic Asylum.
“Jacksons Hill is a critically important site for the Sunbury community,” Mr Bull said.
“We have a wonderful masterplan that will turn the site into a vibrant community hub.”
Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas’ media release praised the budget’s focus on boosting the state’s regional health systems, and spruiked some of the transport and infrastructure funding in her region.
Ms Thomas’ statement also welcomed the investment in two new town bus routes in Gisborne and a new school town bus service.
There will be $500,000 for the planning and development of the intersection at High and Urquhart streets in Woodend, the statement said.
Earlier in the week, Ms Thomas and Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll visited the region to announce $1.6 million to upgrade Woodend station, which is also in the budget.
However, all projects on the Macedon Ranges council’s state budget wishlist appear to have been omitted – including the last $5 million it needs for stage two of the construction of the Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Precinct (MRRSP).
The state government has already given sport precinct $14.8 million towards the first stage of its construction.
Earlier this month, the federal Labor and Liberal parties made funding announcements to the tune of $15 million for stage two of the precinct, which the Liberal Party confirmed to be delivered in its pre-election economic and fiscal outlook paper.
Other council hopes included funding towards the $18 million Daylesford to Hanging Rock and Kyneton shared trail, $6.5 million for the Woodend Community Centre, $5.5 million for the Kyneton Town Hall and $1.85 million for the Lancefield Kindergarten and Maternal Child Health Centre project.
