City of Stirling welcomes State Government Budget

The City of Stirling has welcomed the delivery of the State Government Budget 2021/22, delivered by the Premier and Treasurer, Hon Mark McGowan MLA, in Parliament late last week.
 
Western Australia’s recovery from the initial impacts of COVID-19 has been quicker and stronger than expected, as together with record iron ore commodity prices, this situation has significantly boosted the state’s fiscal position, leading to a $5.6 billion surplus.
 
Mayor Mark Irwin said that the City of Stirling, along with benefiting strongly from state-wide and Perth metropolitan area spends, will receive welcome investments from the new budget.
 
“The City of Stirling is pleased to see funding secured to deliver the Stephenson Avenue Extension from Scarborough Beach Road to Cedric Street including a freeway interchange,” he said.
 
“We also welcome new funding for local schools relied on by City of Stirling families, including:

• $6.3 million for a new performing arts facility, plus refurbished STEM classroom at Balga Senior High School
• $15 million for a new classroom block at Mount Lawley Senior High School, and
• $9.7 million for Scarborough Primary School to provide new permanent facilities to replace transportable classrooms and provide additional accommodation at schools.

“We are also pleased to see $1.5 billion set aside in the budget in recurrent spending to deliver for the State Government’s 2021 election commitments. At the State Election in March, $11 million worth of election commitments were made to the community within the City of Stirling, and we are thrilled to see current and recurring funding to make good on those promises.”
 
City of Stirling Director of Community Development Michael Quirk said the City was pleased to see investment for extra police, mental health services, and housing and homelessness initiatives, which will contribute to better outcomes in the City of Stirling.
 
“Local government has a strong interest in keeping the local community safe, building a strong local economy and delivering much-needed services,” he said.
 
“However, there are social issues that the City faces that are more far-reaching than local government and require a whole of community response. The City is keen to work collaboratively with the State Government, community organisations and residents for sustainable outcomes in a range of areas, including to support people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.
 
“As such we are thrilled to see $6 million for a Local Government Partnership Fund for Homelessness to partner and co-fund homelessness initiatives tailored to local government areas’ needs, which strongly aligns with the City’s own Homelessness Strategy.
 
“With this collaborative approach coming as part of a record $884 million boost for housing and homelessness, we are confident that the City of Stirling and State Government will be able to work together to make significant improvements to the lives of our most vulnerable citizens.
 
“Equally as pleasing is the $1.78 billion investment in the WA Police Force, and $45.5 million for family and domestic violence prevention and support measures. This includes a $3.4 million expansion of the Safe at Home program, providing support services, transitional accommodation, funding for home security upgrades and victim and perpetrator interventions.
 
“The City of Stirling leads a consortium with 10 not for profit organisations to operate Naala Djookan Healing Centre in support of women and children experiencing family and domestic violence. The City has also been working closely with the Department of Communities to build a new contemporary Stirling Women’s Centre, which we are eager to see completed over the next two years.
 
“And finally, we are pleased to see a record $495 million investment in mental health support. This includes community mental health support initiatives the City would be eager to partner on, such as the purpose built 20-bed alcohol and other drug withdrawal rehabilitation facility, Step Up/Step Down facilities to provide a community mental health service and short-term residential support, and $129.9 million towards youth mental health services and initiatives.”
 
City of Stirling Director of Infrastructure Michael Littleton said the City was very pleased to see continued investment in the State Government’s METRONET program, and more specifically, continued support for the finalisation of the Stephenson Avenue Extension project.
 
“The Stephenson Avenue Extension is a key component of the Stirling City Centre project, which has been the City’s number one strategic priority for the better part of a decade,” he said.
 
“It will unlock the City of Stirling’s vision to open up 55 hectares of developable land and transform the area into the Stirling City Centre – a thriving hub of activity that will be home to 30,000 residents and will generate more than 25,000 jobs.
 
“We look forward to the completion of these projects, as we now turn our attention to developing a mid-tier transit system, the Trackless Trams initiative, that will service and support these critical urban centres of Herdsman Glendalough, Stirling City Centre and Scarborough.  
 
“Pending the successful completion of the business case for this innovative technology, the City of Stirling will put forward funding requests for the building and purchase of this transport solution, that will run between Glendalough Station all the way to Scarborough beach.  We are thrilled to note the strong fiscal position of the State’s budget, which makes room for future investments that will further unlock the growth potential of Stirling City Centre as Perth’s second CBD.”