Council puts the squeeze on minister

FUNDING for road, education and human services was top of the agenda when Federal Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads Jim Lloyd came to Pakenham on Tuesday.
Cardinia Shire mayor Garry Runge and chief executive Don Welsh met with Mr Lloyd and McMillan MP Russell Broadbent to lobby the Minister for support for what they said were the shire’s most critical issues.
Issues raised with the Minister were:
Pakenham Bypass
* The council called for better linkages from the bypass to Cardinia’s local road network to improve access and safety;
* Upgrades to the Old Princes Highway/Princes Freeway intersection at Beaconsfield including traffic lights installed, and additional access ramps; and
* Upgrading Kooweerup Road to four lanes to cope with increased commercial and tourist traffic from the Bypass to the Princes Highway and South Gippsland Highway.
Government grants
* The council called for assistance to lobby for an increase in State Government grants to keep pace with Cardinia’s high population growth, currently estimated as a shortfall of about $270,000.
Human services
* The lack of public transport in the area;
* The lack of human services to combat post natal depression and support families in growth corridor shires such as Cardinia;
* The need for increased education and employment options to boost the highschool retention rate.
Cost shifting
* Called for action to prevent Federal and State governments shifting service and infrastructure costs to councils.
Education
* The council called for an Australian Technical College in Pakenham to address the lack of vocational and post secondary training in the area. This would be located with the South East Business Park to provide closetohome training and employment benefiting young people and employers.
Cr Runge said it was vital that Cardinia lobbied for adequate funding and services from other levels of government.
“We have unprecedented growth and with it unprecedented demand for roads, transport, human services, education and employment.
“Council is working to ensure State and Federal funding keeps pace with our needs,” he said. “Many of the issues were not strictly Federal issues but it’s important to ensure each level of government has an understanding of all the issues and to identify how we can work together without cost shifting.”