MEMBER for Mildura Ali Cupper said Sunraysia needs significant infrastructure investment to help the region recover from the COVID-19 crisis.
With Victoria now on the road to recovery, Ms Cupper said the state government needed to send money to the Mallee to stimulate the local economy.
“Premier Daniel Andrews has promised a few times in the past week that the Victorian Government will unveil unprecedented investment in infrastructure as part of the recovery process, to stimulate the economy and provide jobs,” she said.
“I have been pushing hard for an increase in investment in the Mildura electorate, given the impacts of COVID-19 on job losses and the economy, in addition to a history of chronic underfunding by Governments over many decades.”
Ms Cupper said the $23 million the Victorian Government had provided towards infrastructure projects in the electorate since the pandemic struck was an encouraging start.
That funding includes $5.5 million for the Mildura riverfront, $4.4 million for upgrades to SuniTAFE and $2 million for Catfish Billabong at Merbein.
“These projects will provide jobs during the construction phase, which is crucial for our region given the number of people who have lost jobs since the start of the pandemic,” Ms Cupper said.
But with recent cuts to JobSeeker and JobKeeper payments hurting businesses and workers, Ms Cupper said all levels of government needed to continue to support the people of Sunraysia.
“We need all governments to continue to provide the support we need to get through this extremely challenging time,” she said.
“I would urge both the Victorian and Federal governments to ensure they do everything possible to invest in our region when they announce their respective budgets.”
The federal budget will be handed down on October 6, with the Victorian government expected to hand down its budget in late October or early November.
