Roads were the Illawarra's biggest winner in yesterday's state budget, with millions dedicated to begin planning long-awaited upgrades on the notorious Princes Hwy.The region's roads will receive $94 million in 2010-11 - up $15 million on last year's roads budget.The Princes Hwy received the lion's share of that funding including $16 million allocated to the Gerringong upgrade from Mt Pleasant to Toolijooa Rd, only a day after Kiama MP Matt Brown unveiled the environmental assessment and preliminary designs for the first stage.
AUDIO: Hear what the Illawarra's five state MPs think of the budget POLL: Did the State Goverment get the budget right?But overall, the $62 million allocated for the Princes Hwy fell $16 million short of last year's commitment, and included $3.3 million for the Bulli Pass flyover at Lawrence Hargrave Drive, not usually regarded as part of the highway.There was also money to plan bypasses at Foxground and Berry, as well as planning to widen the Princes Hwy to four lanes at South Nowra.Other than the Princes Hwy, there were few surprises, with two of the biggest announcements leaked in the days before the budget.The $25 million for Picton Rd was confirmed yesterday, with $3 million to be allocated from this year's budget. A further $22 million will be drawn from other sources over the next three years. But it was too early for details on how the money would be spent along the deadly 27km stretch from Mt Ousley Rd to the Hume Hwy.The region's major health announcement for an $83 million integrated elective surgery unit at Wollongong Hospital was also confirmed, with the first $500,000 to be spent in the coming year to begin planning.Health services in the region were allocated a total of $512 million in a record $16.4 billion health budget across the state for 2010-11.The expansion of the renal dialysis unit and child and adolescent inpatient unit at Shellharbour each received more than $4 million.Planning for regional cancer centres for the Illawarra and Shoalhaven will get underway with a $1.9 million allocation.The State Government also announced $23.8 million for upgrades at Port Kembla's harbour.Public housing received a boost, with almost $40 million towards building 409 more Illawarra homes.
