By Alesha Capone
Wyndham council has requested more than $4.4 million in funding from the Growing Suburbs Fund, to help build four community facilities.
The council has released its submission to the state government’s Growing Suburbs Fund 2017-19 (previously known as the Interface Growth Fund).
The fund aims to provide $150 million over four years for critical infrastructure in Melbourne’s fast-growing outer suburbs.
The council has requested $1.905 million from the fund to help design and build the Williams Landing Reserve Integrated Sports and Community Hub.
The council has also asked for more than $1.805 million towards upgrading the Tarneit Community Learning Centre and
$1.215 million to build a Truganina East Integrated Family Learning Centre.
As well, the council has requested a $200,000 contribution for a youth outdoor space to be created at Saltwater Park in Point Cook.
The council has already allocated funding to each of these projects, equal to or higher than the amounts requested from the Growing Suburbs Fund.
To be eligible for funding in the current round, projects must be ready to begin construction by September next year.
A report has also identified several other projects which the council hopes to submit to future rounds of the Growing Suburbs Fund, including a community service organisation hub in Werribee; an expansion of the Grange Community Centre in Hoppers Crossing; new integrated children’s centres in Truganina and Tarneit North, north of Leakes Road; and an Indian Cultural Precinct.
In 2015-16 and 2016-17, the council received $4.15 million and $5.4 million respectively from the fund for other projects in the municipality.
Cr Josh Gilligan said the council’s latest submission to the fund was “an important example of the council advocating for the growing municipality’s needs”.
Cr Gilligan said residents were justified
to “expect a very fair and reasonable
proportion of taxes to be distributed back to our city”.
