Shire welcomes Federal Budget funding boost for councils

MPSLogo_News.jpg

Mornington Peninsula Shire has welcomed the announcement of extra support for local government infrastructure projects in last week’s Federal Budget.

Shire CEO John Baker said the $1 billion extension to the $500 million Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program had the potential to make a real difference to the Peninsula community.

“The Shire has a $320 million package of shovel ready projects ready to go. These projects respond to genuine needs within our community and will help soften the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are keen to work with the Federal member for Flinders, Greg Hunt, as well as the State Government, on furthering as many of these projects as possible.”

The negative economic impacts of COVID-19 are forecast to be greater for the Mornington Peninsula than for Australia overall, with a predicted 21 per cent fall in Gross Regional Product, much worse than the 6.9 per cent drop forecast for Australia as a whole.

An estimated 5,900 jobs are also forecast to be lost due to the pandemic, with a reduction in employment opportunities of 11 per cent.

The Shire’s package of shovel ready projects includes:

Peninsula Bay Trail

  • Funding required: $15M
    • Mornington to Moorooduc trail ($6.5M)
    • Somerville to Baxter trail ($4M)
    • Southern Peninsula Bay Trail ($4.5M)

Peninsula Community Facilities

  • Funding required: $17.825M
    • Southern Peninsula Youth Hub ($9M)
    • Mornington Peninsula Cultural Precinct feasibility study ($75k)
    • Flinders Community Hub ($4M)
    • Hastings Sound Shell ($3.5M)
    • Sorrento Community Centre ($0.5M)
    • Sorrento Museum ($0.75M)

The Briars

  • Funding required: $10.6M
    • Concept and design ($3M)
    • Wildlife sanctuary expansion; Wild Dreaming (glamping); Nature sanctuary ($5M)
    • Green Dreaming stage one ($0.6M)
    • Road/car park improvements stage one ($2M)

Peninsula Pavilions Package

  • Funding required: $18.5M
    • Emil Madsen Reserve Mount Eliza ($6M)
    • Civic Reserve Mornington ($5.5M)
    • Alexandra Park Mornington ($2.5M)
    • AR & F Ditterich Reserve Main Ridge ($2M)
    • Red Hill Recreation Reserve Red Hill ($2M)
    • Bunguyan Reserve Tyabb ($0.25M)
    • Marna Reserve Dromana ($0.25M)

Road Safety

  • Funding required: $130M
    • Stage 1 Commence 20/21 total $40M
      • Compact Roundabouts ($15M)
      • Rye Township Plan – Point Nepean Rd ($15M)
      • Forest and Uralla Intersections ($10M)*
    • Stage 2 Commence 22/23 total $90M
      • MP Freeway/Jetty Rd Overpass ($65M)*
      • MP Freeway Sound Barriers ($25M)*

Recycled Water

  • Funding required: $27.3M
    • The Briars project ($2.5M)
    • Tyabb-Somerville project – construction over multiple years ($24.8M)

Peninsula Homelessness Package

  • Funding required: $2.5M
    • Design and construct two social housing developments in Mornington ($1.8M)
    • Group home for adults with intellectual disability in Balnarring ($300k)
    • Housing Access Point service in Hastings ($200k)
    • Salvation Army Intensive Case Management initiative on the Peninsula ($175k)

Better Buses

  • Funding required: $10M

Technology Park

  • Support Required: Timely decision by the Minister for Planning on rezoning the site identified by Mornington Peninsula Shire.

* funding request is in addition to existing Federal Government funding commitment

/Public Release. View in full here.