By Casey Neill
Returned La Trobe MP Jason Wood says it’s nice to again serve the people.
“Every time you go to parliament you miss home, but that’s where you can improve the lives of the electorate,” he told the Mail.
“Thank everyone who voted and supported me.
“To those who didn’t, I hope I can earn your trust.”
Mr Wood said he was feeling confident ahead of the Saturday 18 May federal election.
“Our internal polling had me doing OK,” he said.
“The key was…we had delivered locally.”
He’ll have plenty more to deliver if his pre-election promises are anything to go by.
During the election campaign, Mr Wood promised $110 million would go towards duplicating Wellington Road.
He also said a new mobile base station would improve mobile coverage for Gembrook under a Liberal National Government, and that the Gembrook Cockatoo Football Netball Club would receive $450,000 towards facility upgrades.
Mr Wood said he’d made other cash available for the club after the previous election, and that work was finally due to start in October.
“They are now going to have state of the art change rooms,” he said.
He said his promise of funding for a dedicated children’s emergency department for Casey Hospital would also benefit the hills.
Mr Wood was also part of the $300 million promise to seal roads across the Dandenong Ranges and surrounding areas.
The federal funding will enable 500kms of dirt roads in the Yarra Ranges and Cardinia Shire to be sealed over a 10-year period.
The funding announcement was the result of an advocacy partnership between the two councils and both shires will now receive $150 million to go towards sealing roads.
Mr Wood said the Federal Government really wanted to work with the state and local governments to deliver on its commitments.
“I’ve never had so much money coming in for roads and infrastructure,” he said.
Over in Aston, Liberal MP Alan Tudge was re-elected.
The community will now look for him to make good on a pledge to build a multi-level carpark at the Ferntree Gully train station.
“I have secured $15 million which will allow us to construct up to 500 carparks at Ferntree Gully station,” he said.
