The decision to abandon the JB Osborne Theatre redevelopment due to a lack of funding was deeply disappointing for residents of Kangaroo Flat and the wider Bendigo community, The Nationals’ Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad said today.
Ms Broad said she was disappointed to hear that the project would not go ahead because of a lack of funds, despite four years of solid work by the Kangaroo Flat Community Enterprise (KFCE) group.
“The team has put in many hours of work, including detailed redevelopment plans, and it’s been disappointing that they’ve been unable to secure funding to see this project become a reality.” Ms Broad said.
Ms Broad has previously visited the theatre and received a thorough briefing from the KFCE, and sponsored a petition for the theatre project which was tabled in Parliament on July 30 with more than 1,000 signatures.
A response was due on August 29, but Ms Broad said she was still waiting to hear from the Minister, almost three months after the petition was tabled.
“When people raise petitions, they are raising concerns that really matter to their local communities,” Ms Broad said.
“Labor’s budget blowouts and financial mismanagement have led to a serious lack of funding for community projects,” said Ms Broad.
“Following a decade of financial mismanagement under Labor, Victoria has the highest level of taxes in the nation, with net debt set to exceed $194 billion by mid-2029, and a massive $1.2 million every hour on interest repayments on Labor’s debt.
“The Labor State Government continues to waste taxpayer funds and can’t explain where the money is coming from to pay for projects like the Suburban Rail Loop.
“The Allan Labor Government can’t manage money, and because of their financial mismanagement and continued focus on Big Build projects in Melbourne, valuable regional projects like this are missing out.”
