Federal Budget 09 - War on Unemployment
Thursday, 14 May 2009 23:59
May 12, 2009
The 2009 Federal Budget is a war against unemployment, and provides major further local infrastructure that will benefit all of Colac, Great Geelong and Western Victoria, Federal MP Darren Cheeseman said today
“The choice is simple. We either do nothing, watch the unemployment queue grow and dole payments explode, or create jobs and build our educational institutions and community infrastructure for the future.”
“We either pay it as dole money, or spend it on employing tradies to build local schools, roads, ports and communities. I’ll go for the latter every day of the week.”
Darren Cheeseman said he was particularly pleased to see the introduction of paid maternity leave, increases for pensioners and carers, and the inclusion of funds for a raft of important local projects, including:
* $3.2 billion the Geelong-Melbourne Express Rail track, providing cost, travel time and environmental incentives for people from Grovedale/Belmont and the Surf Coast to use rail into Melbourne, (this initiative will also relieve congestion on the Westgate Bridge)
* $50 million for the upgrade of the Port of Geelong, providing a big boost for western districts primary producers,
* $8 million Princes Highway West duplication, with remaining money committed in the forward estimates for the road to be completed by 2014.
Money has also been allocated as promised in the budget to all promised projects, including Roads to Recovery projects, all four shire Community Infrastructure programs, the Great Ocean Road renewal program, the new Bannockburn sports Precinct, Beechy Centre Precinct, Colac Botanic Gardens, and a raft of other local projects.
“I think we have achieved that difficult balancing act of making savings by just targeting services to those who really need it, and directing the bulk of our resources to where will create the most jobs,” Darren Cheeseman said.
For more information, ring Joe Taylor 0416241653
