Special bonus

By Lilly O’Gorman
BACKERS of the Officer Special School were delighted at news the project had received $15 million in yesterday’s State Budget – $5 million more than previously expected.
The school funding, as well as $50 million for a Kooweerup Bypass, were two of the big ticket items yesterday revealed in Treasurer Kim Wells’s first budget.
Cathy Smith, co-ordinator of the Support for a Specialist School for Casey-Cardinia (SS4CC), said the allocation was much more than what was promised by Martin Dixon in November last year and it meant the school would open in 2013.
“I am absolutely ecstatic,” Ms Smith said. “To think that not even 18 months ago it was a very gloomy picture for kids with special needs with no plans to build any special schools in the area and no politicians talking about it.
“It means we will have the state-of-the-art facilities the children need to cater for up to 300 children. It means they have facilities they deserve. We have the opportunity to really aim high and build something quite unique.”
Gembrook MP Brad Battin said the State Government had committed to providing state-of-the-art facilities and disability services to local special needs kids.
“We’re rapt that the funding has come through in this budget. It is an exciting time for local community groups especially SS4CC,” he said.
“We are looking forward to implementing infrastructure that is very required for children with special needs.”
The Kooweerup Bypass announcement has been applauded by those affected by the holiday rush to Phillip Island and constant trucks cutting through the quiet town on their way from Melbourne to South Gippsland.
Kooweerup Township Committee secretary and Sybella Avenue resident Geoff Stokes said he was extremely happy to hear the news.
“We’ve worked very hard for this – the whole town has,” he said. “I’m also just very pleased that promises made by Ted Baillieu pre-election are being kept.”
Other funding for the area includes funding from a pool of $4.8 million for development and preconstruction work for the duplication of Cardinia Road and early works for the Cardinia Road/Princes Highway intersection as well as funding from a pool of $40 million for the land acquisition and planning of a police station at Emerald.