Federal Budget 2020-21 – Melton City Council response

Melton City Council has responded to the newly released Federal Budget 2020-21, welcoming further investment in the Western Rail Plan and hopeful that new funding allocations will be invested in much-needed local projects.

Melton City Council CEO Kelvin Tori said:

“We’re very pleased that an additional $30 million has been allocated to the Western Rail Plan. We hope this will bring us closer to electrification of the Melton line and better connect our residents to work, education, and social activities in the future.

“As we look toward economic recovery, it’s great to see a further $1 billion added to the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program. With one of Australia’s fastest growing populations, our infrastructure needs are significant and we hope that that our high-priority projects will benefit from this fund.

“The new JobMaker and JobTrainer initiatives are hugely welcome and I hope that for young people in the City of Melton this will not only aid in post-pandemic recovery, but will help close a pre-existing local employment gap.

“With many of our residents and businesses experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 crisis, we also welcome the inclusion of significant tax concessions for individuals and businesses in this budget.

“We will continue to advocate to the Federal Government on behalf of our residents to ensure that the City of Melton’s vital infrastructure, employment and liveability needs are known and equitably prioritised.”

/Public Release. View in full here.