Councils win road windfall in budget

By Ed Merrison
THE region’s councils have been granted a share in a Victorian windfall of $62.5 million from the federal budget for the upkeep of local roads.
In addition to road-funding allocations from the 2006-07 Roads to Recovery scheme, the cities of Knox and Casey and the Shires of Yarra Ranges and Cardinia have learned they will receive a one-off grant equal to their 2006-07 allocations before the end of the current financial year.
La Trobe MP Jason Wood said the additional funds, to be used to fix local road problems as councils see fit, can be used up to 2009.
“In addition to the $972,573 that the Shire of Cardinia will receive in 2006-07, they will receive another $972,573 before 30 June 2006.
“The City of Casey will receive another $851,643, Knox City Council will receive an additional $565,343 and the Shire of Yarra Ranges will receive an additional $1,478,733,” Mr Wood said.
Cardinia governance and communications manager, Doug Evans, said the council was appreciative of the extra funds.
“With over 1300km of local roads within the shire, the upkeep of this road network is the council’s largest single budget item.
“Council has not had an opportunity to consider its priority for allocation of these additional funds, but will do so as part of the budget deliberations currently under way,” he said.
The Shire of Yarra Ranges and Knox City Council were also yet to decide which projects would be allocated the extra funds.
Knox engineering and infrastructure director, Ian Bell, said information from a recent Australian Road Research Board survey of the municipality’s 705km of roads would be used to prioritise road maintenance and renewal.
“Council welcomes any increase in external funding which would assist in reaching the sustainable level of funding required to manage its core infrastructure assets, including roads,” he said.