By DANIEL TRAN and CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
WHAT does the 2013-14 state budget mean to residents in Melbourne’s east and south east?
Among announcements made by Treasurer Michael O’Brien today are a ‘‘fully funded’’ children’s hospital in Clayton, more trains on the Dandenong rail corridor, a duplication of High Street Road in Scoresby and elimination of a Bayswater level crossing.
HEALTH
The state government has stated it will fully fund the 230-bed Monash Children’s Hospital in Clayton by 2016.
In tabling the budget, Treasurer Michael O’Brien said the hospital — which would complement the CBD’s Royal Children’s Hospital — meant Victoria would have ‘‘not one but two world-class paediatric hospitals’’.
In the budget capital works papers, the entire project’s cost, including this year’s spend, was not published.
But the papers suggest $415 million has been set aside for the Monash Children’s and for a redeveloped Royal Eye and Ear Hospital. The two projects have been allocated $30 million in 2013-14.
Maroondah Hospital will get $15.6 million towards its $22 million expansion by mid-2014.
Dandenong Hospital’s $67.8 million mental unit has been allocated its final $1.2 million for completion in 2013-14.
Health Minister David Davis said the government was investing a record $14.3 billion in health, with a $420.7 million, four-year elective surgery blitz.
It would fund an extra 41,300 emergency department visits and more than 50,000 hospital procedures to ‘‘ease the burden on the system’’.
“Health funding provided in this year’s budget is $2 billion more than in the last year of the former Labor state government,” Mr Davis said.
However the ALP opposition claimed $209 million had been cut from the health budget.
“The total amount cut from health by the Liberal Government is now $826 million, which could have provided surgery for additional 165,000 patients,” opposition health spokesman Gavin Jennings said.
Australian Medical Association state president Stephen Parnis welcomed the investment in medical training and public hospital capacity.
He bemoaned the lack of funding for ‘‘simple and effective initiatives’’ such as more psychiatric Crisis Assessment and Treatment (CAT) teams, prisoner health services and a real-time prescription drug monitoring system.
‘‘We were hoping to see additional investment in CAT teams to provide much-needed mental health treatment and support in the community and which would simultaneously ease the pressure on our public hospitals’’, Dr Parnis said.
EDUCATION
After more than a year of devastating education cuts, the Victorian government will pour $200 million back into the TAFE sector.
TAFE providers will soon be able to submit funding proposals for their share of the money announced in the budget today.
Budget figures shows the Napthine government has earmarked $100 million for infrastructure improvements so TAFE providers can compete with the private sector and a further $100 million for operational reforms to improve their financial sustainability.
Chisholm TAFE, which was slugged with $30 million of cuts over the past 18 months, will receive $11 million in 2013-14 for new facilities.
Higher Education Minister Peter Hall said the money would be put towards growth of the sector.
‘‘Our TAFE institutes make a strong contribution to communities – and to the Victorian economy – it is vital that we support TAFEs to build a strong competitive workforce for the future,” he said.
Public schools in the state’s east and south-eastern suburbs are also receiving much-needed funds to modernise and regenerate their facilities.
In Monash, Ashwood College will receive an estimated $8.5 million in 2013-14 to build a new administration area, classrooms and a gym by mid-2014.
Knox’s Boronia K-12 College is a huge winner in this budget after receiving $12 million to build new classrooms, specialist teaching spaces and administration. The money will also be used to refurbish its primary classrooms and library.
Dandenong High School will see $5 million to regenerate its facilities, as will Dingley Primary School which has been set aside $1.3 million in 2013-14. Ringwood North Primary School in Maroondah will receive $1.68 million.
The Officer Special School will be established in the suburb for $10.8 million.
POLICE
The future of the Mount Waverley police station is now set in stone with the government confirming $2.2 million of funding to open 24-hour police stations in the suburb and Carrum Downs.
ROADS
Much to the chagrin of public transport advocates, roads in the state’s east and south-east have been some of the biggest winners in this budget. The Cardinia Road upgrade will be provided with $7.8 million in 2013-14. The Monash Freeway has been allocated $10 million, subject to Commonwealth Funding, to implement a managed motorway system between High Street and Warrigal Road.
The Dandenong Bypass in Keysborough is being assigned about $1.2 million and the Dingley Bypass about $10.5 million. The Hallam road duplication will receive $12.9 million.
Motorists travelling through Bayswater will be breathing easier after funding was confirmed to remove the level crossing on Mount Highway and Scoresby Road as part of the government’s $52 million package of works.
But only $10 million will be spent on the Melbourne Metro Rail — a project that is essential for the Rowville Rail to go ahead.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
The government will pitch in $177 million for eight new Melbourne trains, signalling and stabling by 2015, with extra off-peak services to run every 10 minutes in the Dandenong rail corridor.
Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder says more than $520 million has been invested to cope with rising numbers of PT users.
“With a growing Victoria, patronage on the metropolitan rail network is expected to double by 2031,’’ Mr Mulder said.
Ringwood station will get $10.5 million towards its $66 million upgrade of the station and interchange. The project is scheduled to end in 2016.
However, the $18 million Dandenong Intermodal Terminal project remains unfunded.
Puffing Billy Railway’s $4.385 million upgrade and Glen Waverley rail station’s $1.8 million upgrade will be funded and completed late this year.
The $10.7 million multi-deck car park project at Syndal railway station gets $5 million in 2013-14, and $41 million has been allocated for better PSO facilities at railway stations.
Eastern Transport Coalition chairwoman Samantha Dunn tweeted her disappointment that stage two for Rowville and Doncaster rail projects were unfunded.
Public Transport Users Association president Tony Morton welcomed improvements to suburban bus services and Dandenong rail corridor services.
“All the same, we saw patronage collapse by 10 per cent on buses and 7 per cent on trams just in the [past] year, so the government needs to act now to stop people walking away from services that are no longer adequate to meet demand.”
