THE newly released federal budget features extra taxpayer funding for the upgrade of Hall Road and for new car parks at Frankston Station.
The 2021/2022 budget contains an extra $56.8 million in funding for the Hall Road project. The federal government has now committed a total of just over $141 million to the upgrade.
An additional $19 million will go into expanding car parking at Frankston Station, taking the federal government’s total commitment to $43.5 million. In a statement the Committee for Greater Frankston celebrated the car park funding, but said that “promised new commuter parking at Seaford and Kananook stations would not be built”.
“The new Frankston multi-deck is long overdue, 45 years actually, but now is really just a stopgap measure, a temporary fix,” Committee CEO Ginevra Hosking said.
“Inadequate public transport to and through Frankston, and its consequence – an over-dependence on overly expensive parking – has become a barrier to economic growth and job creation in our CBD.”
No extra money was included in the budget for the trouble-plagued proposal to electrify and duplicate the Frankston line to Baxter.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that projects such as Hall Road and the Western Port Highway upgrade, which received another $30 million in the budget, would help with “creating jobs, boosting business investment, while securing Australia’s COVID recovery”.
“From building the intermodal Melbourne needs for a better future for freight and productivity, to improving the key road connections in the outer suburbs and regional areas – these projects will support more than 3,000 direct and indirect jobs across Victoria,” he said.
Dunkley MP Peta Murphy said that Frankston and the surrounding areas “deserve a better budget than what was produced on Tuesday night.”
“This Liberal Government’s eighth federal budget was disappointing and a missed opportunity,” she said. “Despite spending almost $100 billion and racking up a record $1 trillion in debt, the budget sadly reveals no new projects for Dunkley and expects local real wages will go backwards.
“Budget papers reveal that no new local infrastructure projects have been funded in this budget and no progress has been made on previously announced projects including Baxter Rail, Ballarto Road and commuter car parking at Seaford and Kananook stations. Our community needs the government to deliver what they promised us.
“There was also no money in the Budget for very worthy local projects that I’ve been lobbying the Government for on behalf of our community – including Emil Madsen Reserve, Mornington Peninsula Bay Trail, Nairm Marr Djambana, McClelland Gallery and Ballam Park Athletics track. That is deeply disappointing. However, I will continue to fight to ensure that we get our fair share – and I will work with anyone who wants the same for our community.
“Whilst we welcome the additional funding in child care and aged care, it is clear that more support is needed to address these issues.”
Ms Murphy and Frankston mayor Kris Bolam met with Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack last week for a discussion.
