By Casey Neill
The $529.2 million tram and train order in the State Budget will secure jobs at Dandenong manufacturer Bombardier and its south-east suppliers.
But the Tuesday 2 May announcement of the State Government’s 2017-18 financial plan brought Keysborough residents little joy.
Keysborough South Action Group (KSAG) spokeswoman Nina Kelly said the budget confirmed funding to build a new primary school in Keysborough South was effectively on hold.
“This leaves 2800-odd school-aged children, their families and the wider community in the new estates with no security of a safe walkable public primary school in the area,” she said.
Ms Kelly said the Department of Education and Training (DET) had not acted fast enough to secure a site for the school.
“The land acquisition funding was provided in the 2016-17 State Budget,” she said.
She said it was important that the five-year school infrastructure pipeline suggested by Infrastructure Victoria’s 30-year strategy was implemented urgently and publicly available.
“We still don’t know if our two-year-olds will have a school to start in for 2020 or we will have to wait for 2022 for children not even born,” she said.
Keysborough MP and Attorney-General Martin Pakula said the government remained committed to a new primary school for Keysborough South.
“Negotiations for the purchase of land are taking longer than expected and funding for construction will be allocated in a future budget,” he said.
“I can understand parents’ frustration and I have offered to meet with the Keysborough South Action Group to discuss next steps.
“The new primary school is not in doubt and we will push for funding for construction to be provided as soon as possible.”
At Bombardier, workers were to finish their current VLocity train carriage and E-Class tram orders by the middle of next year.
The budget included $218.1 million to fund 10 trams and associated infrastructure, bringing the total E-Class order to 80, and $311.1 million for 39 new VLocity carriages, adding to 48 already funded.
Spokeswoman Loulou Hammad said the new orders would provide work into 2019.
She said there were options in the E-Class tram contract for further orders, depending on network requirements.
Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams said the investment would support 500 jobs at Bombardier and local suppliers, and ensure ongoing opportunities for young workers and those re-skilling from other industries.
She said the investment funded a major VLocity re-design to enable them to run on long-haul services.
“Dandenong is the engine room of Victoria, manufacturing products that are well known and loved by Victorians,” she said.
“This investment is a vote of confidence in a great local product.”
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry acting chief executive Bryce Prosser also welcomed the orders.
“Significant investments in our transport network and infrastructure will benefit all Victorians, with improved connectivity, increased productivity and more reliable public transport available around the state,” he said.
