By Mitchell Clarke
The State Budget must prioritise long-term support for “vulnerable” Cardinia Shire residents whose employment and livelihoods have been destroyed by Covid-19, according to a local government representative body.
Interface Councils – a group which represents the 1.6 million residents living in Victoria’s 10 interface local government areas including Cardinia and Casey – said the upcoming State Budget will be more relevant to the average person than ever before.
The group’s spokesperson David Hawkins said Melbourne’s growth areas had been particularly hard hit by the pandemic.
He called for the budget to address four key areas – servicing the most vulnerable, supporting local economies, addressing infrastructure project shortfalls and getting local priorities right.
“Lending a hand to help residents who have lost their jobs due to Covid-19 should be at the forefront and residents of Melbourne’s outer areas will wait with bated breath for the Victorian Budget sometime before December,” Mr Hawkins said.
“In the upcoming State Budget we hope to see a common-sense approach to embedding positive changes to Interface areas so that the benefits of these measures can continue to be felt.
“Outer suburban areas have huge rates of rental and mortgage stress and our young people are now losing study and job opportunities because of the evolving mental health crisis.”
Liberal Narracan MP Gary Blackwood said he had already reports from Cardinia residents that rental and mortgage stress was at the forefront of their concerns.
“With limited industries able to operate across the metropolitan region, many simply don’t know how soon they can return to work,” he said.
Mr Blackwood said it was “very disappointing” that a date hadn’t been announced for the State Budget’s release.
“While I understand the health response to Covid-19 is important, we need to be planning now for the economic and social path out of this crisis,” he said.
“The Victorian State Budget must deliver key projects and industry investment across our interface councils so that communities can feel confident investment is being made to drive jobs, growth and help secure their local economies.”
The State Government’s Growing Suburbs Fund has recently invested $25 million towards local infrastructure in fast-growing interface and peri-urban councils like Cardinia and Casey.
Labor Bass MP Jordan Crugnale said the pandemic had highlighted many things including job insecurity and the casualisation of the workforce.
“Our communities like many others have been hit hard and the rebuild and recovery both socially and economically will be an absolute focus of our government,” she said.
“The Victorian budget will be handed down soon and will demonstrate our commitment to this.”
A further need for funding across the interface area is evident, according to Labor MP Harriet Shing, who represents the Eastern Victoria electorate.
Ms Shing said it was “more important than ever” for the State Government to do “as much as we can” to support Victorians.
“We know that the latest Federal Budget will generate very little long-term benefit or support for low-and middle-income households, and it has failed to invest in childcare, social housing, higher education or support for women, including across our interface areas,” she said.
“We’ve also missed out on our fair share of infrastructure funding despite having 25 percent of Australia’s population.
“I’m also looking forward to working with new councillors and mayors after local government election results have been declared, to make sure that this work continues with the sense of urgency that it deserves.”
