Victoria’s two main parties are using the weekend to woo voters with big infrastructure promises just a month away from state elections.
The work promises more money for Dandenong Hospital in south-east Melbourne.
A $ 295 million upgrade will expand the hospital’s emergency room and build a new intensive care unit and outpatient clinic.
But work shouldn’t start before 2026, another election year for the state.
The coalition pledges $ 1.5 billion for roads in western Melbourne, with the lion’s share – $ 700 million – earmarked for upgrading the Western Highway.
According to polls, Prime Minister Daniel Andrews’ government is poised for a third term as opposition leader Matthew Guy struggles to make it to the electorate.
But Mr. Guy previously said internal party polls indicated next month’s elections would be close.
Spending on health and roads has so far been a central concern for both sides.
The contest also sparked controversy, with a low-key Liberal running against Mr. Andrews in his Mulgrave constituency having to apologize after saying the Prime Minister would face justice for the ensuing “murder” of the Victorians. from hotel quarantine leaks.
One of the Prime Minister’s most recent great promises has been to return the state’s energy grid to public hands and run it almost entirely with renewable energy.