Peel Region 'dudded' in WA state budget: Dawesville MP Zak Kirkup

The Liberal politician said the McGowan government’s second budget was “incredibly disappointing” with the region receiving “even less this year, than we did last year”.

“That's two of two budgets for me, we've been dudded,” he said. 

“We know the population of the Peel region continues to expand but there's no money to expand the Mandurah police station – that should have been done, especially to combat crime in our community.

“We know there is congestion, in my district in particular, trying to get over the estuary. There's not a single dollar here for new roads or even for planning for a new Estuary Bridge.

“There's not a single dollar for expanding our schools – which again there's a population growth there; the schools should have got more funding.

“And we haven't seen any money go towards those local schools and not a single dollar again for any proposed high school in Dawesville.”

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While Mr Kirkup welcomed the funding for a new carpark at Peel Health Campus, he believed there was “no point parking if you can't get into the emergency department because it's packed or you can't get access to good clinical services”.

“Once you walk inside those hospital doors, or once you walk into the emergency department, not a thing would have changed,” he said.  

“Not a single dollar has gone into that facility and that's a real disappointment.

“We see Geraldton Hospital get nearly $80 million, Ramsay Health Care's hospital in Joondalup gets $120 million and yet the Peel Health Campus gets $4.4 million for a carpark and not a single thing for clinical services or the emergency department, where those other hospitals get exactly that, and that's a real disappointment.”

The Dawesville member was vocal in the lead up to the budget about the need for hospital funding in Mandurah. 

While there was no cash allocated for the expansion of the Peel Health Campus, Mr Kirkup said he would continue his campaign until money was announced. 

“We won't rest on Peel Health Campus until we get an expanded hospital,” he said.  

“The reality is, the carpark is good but it's not the top priority for our community.

“The campaign for an expanded Peel Health Campus doesn't stop with this budget.

“I would have hoped that the community momentum would have showed this government that they can't ignore us.

“Clearly I think they've really dudded Mandurah and the Peel region and I'll make sure that we continue to fight together with the community to get the hospital that we deserve and that's not just a carpark. That's the hospital itself.”