Vol. No. Vol. 2618No. 4327
FREE PUBLICATION
A FREE PUBLICATION FROM YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS 3WM AND MIXXFM
Wednesday, January 2016 Wednesday, May13, 8, 2024
STOMPING SUCCESS: The Grampians Grape Escape attracted about 8000 people to Halls Gap at the weekend. The three-day regional food and wine festival featured 100 exhibitor stalls, live music, cooking masterclasses and a Grampians Winemakers Barrique Auction, which raised more than $32,000. A portion of the auction profits will be directed towards staging a Grampians Fine Wine Festival at Pomonal Estate in October. There was also a grape-stomping competition, with participants such as Latoya Buchanan and Tanika Thamrakcharen, pictured, vying for prizes from Grampians-based businesses. Story and more pictures, pages 22 and 23. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
State Budget blues S
BY LAUREN HENRY
chool and health projects pushed back, and the reduction of roads funding was evident as the State Government handed down what was labelled by many as the ‘bad news’ Budget yesterday.
The regional roads upgrade program, with an estimated investment of $60.5 million including $28.5 million of federal funding, over four years, includes structural upgrades to Western Highway bridges at Dimboola and Dadswells Bridge.
There was no money in the Budget for the duplication of the Western Highway between Ararat and Stawell, but the Budget did list allocations for bypasses of Ararat and Beaufort. Other existing projects in the region to be included in the 2024-25 Budget are the Goroke stage two sewerage scheme – $151,000 to be spent in 2024-25; East Grampians rural water supply project – $30 million; Natimuk Primary School upgrade – $2 million; and Dimboola wastewater project has been listed as a ‘regional various’ project with other similar work, with ex-
act costs unknown. With the government’s net debt forecast to continue increasing to $187.8 billion by June 2028, infrastructure spending will decrease from $24 billion in 2023-24 to $15.6 billion by 2027-28. In Premier Jacinta Allan’s first Budget, the government outlined a plan to increase fire services and waste levy charges for Victorians, reduce advertising and office space to help curb expenditure, as well as delay programs such as universal pre-prep for four-year-olds from 2032 to 2036. However, in positive news, fami-
lies with children attending public schools, and concession card holders with children at non-government schools, will receive $400 per child through the School Saving Bonus program to assist with cost-of-living expenses, and the cost of school uniforms, camps and sports. Member for Lowan Emma Kealy said the Budget had delivered a ‘brutal reality’ for regional Victorians. She said there were plenty of projects across the region that had missed out on funding or had funding delayed, such as upgrades to Edenhope
College and Stawell West Primary School, who were among 29 schools to remain in the planning stage and ‘funded in a future budget’. Ms Kealy said funding for roads and agriculture continued to significantly lag behind past levels, with road maintenance funding 16 percent lower in this year’s Budget compared with 2020. Meanwhile the $496.6 million allocated in the Budget for agriculture is almost 30 percent lower than the $687.3 million in 2022-23. Continued page 3
IN THIS ISSUE • Ararat development shelved • Farmers unite • Junior football success AUDITED: 21,534 COPIES October 2022 to September 2023
Source: AMAA; CAB Total Distribution Audit for further information visit www.auditedmedia.org.au
artisanHP1038
Phone: 03 5382 1351 Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
THIS MOTHER'S DAY
Win mum flowers -for a year! HORSHAM
PLAZA K MART • SPOTLIGHT • THE REJECT SHOP BEST AND LESS • SPECIALTY STORES WWW.HORSHAMPLAZA.COM.AU DARLOT STREET HORSHAM
Just spend $20 at any Plaza store.
Drawn 12noon Friday May 10. Flowers proudly provided each month by the Horsham Florist team.
*