Budget misses ‘future growth’ funds for corridor

TOOWOOMBA’S LNP members have savaged the latest budget for lacking planning for “future growth” in the region’s western areas.

Toowoomba South MP and Attorney-General opposition spokesman David Janetzki said the missing funds for a car park at Glenvale State School and no new high school in the south-west corridor would increase congestion.

“It’s heartening to see some funding for additional classrooms at Harristown and a new performing arts centre at Centenary Heights,” he said.

“But there has been a failure to plan for the future growth in the southern and western Toowoomba areas, with no new high school.

“We’ll see more congestion on suburban roads and a heightening community safety risk.

“The Glenvale school community will be devastated with the failure to fund a new car park.”

Toowoomba North MP Trevor Watts slammed the lack of starting dates for key election promises made by Labor last year, including the re-opening of the Newtown Police Beat and the Highfields Police Station.

“There is no start date for these projects and there is no completion date,” he said.

“The fact of the matter is, these were key election commitments made by the Palaszczuk Labor Government during the 2017 election campaign.

“The Toowoomba community needs certainty about when these projects will be delivered.”

Broadly, the LNP questioned the introduction of new taxes and no pay-down on debt.