A NEW $17 million library for Warrnambool is be the big ticket item for the south-west in the state government budget, while the city's hospital and the Princes Highway have been overlooked.
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The state government released its budget on Monday, spruiking $3.8 million in funding to build modern hospitals for the state.
But there appears to be little funding for regional hospitals, with the exception of $100 million for the Maryborough Hospital and $60 million for a day rehabilitation centre at the Bendigo Hospital.
South-west residents will have access to free dental care at government schools and the single officer Camperdown and Terang ambulance stations will become dual officer crews.
The government has also committed to funding its share of the Geelong and Shipwreck Coast City Deal in the 2019/20 budget.
READ more: $17m for new library locked in
Port Fairy's community health centre and integrating Heywood's primary health services into the local health hub will be expanded and Glenormiston agricultural college will receive money to develop a shearing course.
It was also revealed that three-year-old kinder will be rolled out in the Colac-Otway, Corangamite, Glenelg and Southern Grampians shires in 2021.
South-west schools are also set to benefit, with Mortlake College to receive $1.18 million to to replace a building that contains asbestos, Terang College will receive $1.77 million for a similar project, while Baimbridge College in Hamilton will receive $840,000 to complete stage one of a plan to upgrade the school.
Dunkeld Consolidated School and George Street Primary School in Hamilton will receive $1.09 million and $2.27 million, respectively, to replace buildings containing asbestos.
Also included in the budget is $615 million for regional rail.
The budget also includes $36 million for existing projects on the Princes Highway - $18 million for funding of the stretch from Colac to the South Australian border and $18 million for the stretch from Winchelsea to Colac, but no extra funds to match the $60 million commitment by Member for Wannon Dan Tehan.
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