SIR, – The West Gate Tunnel project is currently projected to run $3.3-billion dollars over budget. 

The $3.3-billion could be spent:

• Building 300km of highway; or, 

• Opening 19,000 intensive care unit beds for a year; or,

• Doubling the budget for the Country Fire Authority; or,

• Constructing 825 wind turbines; or,

• Building 16 COVID-19 quarantine facilities for international travelers; or,

• Providing 181 times more funding for feral animal control; or,

• Providing 47 times the funding for national parks; or,

• Duplicating the highway between Stawell and Ararat seven times. 

Not to mention the money that could be put into schools, mental health, aged care and other health services. 

Can you imagine what Wimmera Health Care Group, Edenhope and District Memorial Hospital and Stawell Regional Health could do with $1.1-billion each? 

The State Government is blowing money left, right and centre. Unfortunately due to COVID-19, a lot of these budget blowouts are going unnoticed as we are all focused on restrictions, lockdowns and vaccinations. 

With the closure of State Parliament throughout lockdown, the opposition has not had the opportunity to make the Andrews government accountable for its actions. 

I hope with the recent reopening of parliament Premier Daniel Andrews and his cabinet will be held accountable for their budget blowouts.

Robert Letts

Horsham

The entire September 22, 2021 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!