Cash boost on way

By Tania Martin
YARRA Ranges councillors are calling on the Federal Government to hand over a $1.7 million “Rudd cash” boost promised last year.
Councillors Tim Heenan and Samantha Dunn questioned the delay at an ordinary meeting last Tuesday 10 March.
The cash was announced as part of a $300 million council injection last November.
Cr Heenan said the council had submitted all the necessary paperwork by the January deadline but still had not heard from the government or seen any of the cash.
“Now we are sitting here waiting for the money to come in,” he said.
“We need to get these projects started so we can get finished by the September deadline.”
But a government spokeswoman said the money was now on its way.
The projects where approved last Thursday 12 March after the council’s call for action.
Cr Dunn said the main concern was getting the projects completed on time.
“This puts considerable undue pressure on local government to deliver,” she said. “We are running out of time.”
However, the spokeswoman said the government had been waiting for the council to contact it regarding the projects had earmarked for the cash.
She said Yarra Ranges as a fire-affected area was given extra time to reassess its project options.
But she said the council had only just responded last Thursday after numerous calls.
“Council has advised us it wants to continue with its current proposals,” she said.
Local Government Minister Anthony Albanese said the government had now signed off on the projects.
The cash was on its way for more than 30 projects across the shire, some of which included works on Olinda Community House, the Warburton Mechanics Institute Hall upgrade and better disability access for halls in Kalorama, Lilydale and Sassafras.
Projects are also awaiting approval in the neighbouring shires of Knox and Cardinia.