Mount Gambier’s winners and losers in the 2020-2021 SA State Budget
A $5.1 million school cash injection, road funding and a heritage listed building are Mount Gambier’s big winners in the State Budget – but one key area has been overlooked.
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Grant High School, Varcoe Foundry, the Riddoch Hwy and a Yahl fire station were the South East’s big winners in the 2020-2021 South Australian Budget.
Mount Gambier’s largest cash injection in the budget – handed down on Tuesday – was $5.1 million to complete the development of Grant High School.
Meanwhile the city’s iconic local heritage listed building, Varcoe Foundry received $800,000 to go towards refurbishment of its performance and outdoor gathering spaces.
There were no exact dollar figures attached to funding for a Yahl fire station or the state’s contribution to the Riddoch Highway upgrade.
While Mount Gambier MP Troy Bell was happy to see health spending increase by $676 million than estimated in 19-20 budget, he said his biggest concern was the lack of clearly defined mental health funding for regional South Australia.
“I am currently trying to organise a meeting with our health minister,” Mr Bell said.
“I’ll be lobbying for an allocation to regional mental health out of the $600 million extra.”
Mr Bell said the region would also benefit from a range of other budget measures but councils and schools would need to secure the funding.
“I would like to have seen more specific projects funded in our regions,” Mr Bell said.
“However, it’s a big budget, and we need to compete for the money that hasn’t been specifically allocated to designated projects.
“There’s a lot of work to do from a local government point of view, a regional growth point of view.
“We need to have good projects shovel ready, this whole budget is about getting the money out the door quickly into projects that are going to build our communities and we need to be on the front foot.”
Mr Bell highlighted regional road funding which will give local councils the opportunity to apply for between $500,000 and $5 million to fund road projects that can be completed within the next six months.
He also said non-government schools would benefit from $320 million in loans while all state schools would be able to access between $20,000 and $100,000 for priority maintenance.
“That will go directly to the school and the principal can spend that directly with the tradespeople in our community,” he said.
Business projects will be boosted with $25 million from the Regional Growth Fund while $100 million was allocated for local government infrastructure such as libraries, galleries and cycling trails to be completed within 12 months which Mr Bell said would require a dollar-for-dollar contribution from councils.
“I’m really excited to work with our councillors to see which projects they want to tap into this money for,” he said.