Yarra Ranges Council has welcomed funding commitments from local federal election candidates, and is calling on all parties to match pledges made so far.
On Friday, 6 May, Liberal Party Candidate, Aaron Violi, pledged $14.8 million towards construction of eight key roads in Council’s Roads for Agribusiness proposal.
This announcement follows another from Labor candidate, Bill Brindle, to fund the $4.9m construction of the Yarra Valley Trail’s Stage 2A (Yarra Glen towards Healesville).
Yarra Ranges Mayor, Jim Child, thanked the candidates and their parties for pledging funding to the area.
“It’s heartening to see candidates and their parties acknowledge the need for these projects, and we’re very thankful to see the commitments made so far,” Cr Child said.
“Our community is privileged to have a number of passionate and engaged election candidates, from across the political spectrum, and we’re excited that both major parties have committed to funding different local projects – Roads for Agribusiness and the Yarra Valley Trail – which would have enormous benefits to our communities – socially, economically and environmentally.
“We will continue to work hard to secure bipartisan support for these and other priority asks because what we all understand is these commitments are being delivered for the community”
“We look forward to continued conversations with local candidates, raising issues and our advocacy priorities with them, and trying to secure the best result for our communities.”Council has prepared an advocacy agenda for the 21 May Federal Election, with key project proposals including:
- $150 million in funding to design and construct 150km of sealed roads near agribusinesses
- $9.5m to plant more than 130,000 trees in built-up areas, parks and bushlands throughout Yarra Ranges
- $500k per year for four years to retrofit solar, batteries and LED lighting on community facilities
- $10-15m from the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments to construct the Oonah Belonging Place
- Major improvements to mobile connectivity, upgrades to NBN services and better telecommunications network resilience during emergencies
- Funding for Council’s Ridges and Rivers projects – the Yarra Valley Trail, RidgeWalk and Warburton Mountain Bike Destination
- Extended funding for the Lilydale Youth Hub and expanded resourcing for headspace services and mental health outreach
- Funding for new playgrounds, pump tracks, community sports pavilions, infrastructure for women and girls in sport and path and trail construction
A number of candidates have made pledges for local projects, which can be found on Council’s website at yarraranges.vic.gov.au/FedElectionCommitments
