Member for Manly Mike Baird has released a list of local funding priorities that Treasurer Michael Costa should address when he hands down the Budget next Tuesday.

“This is Michael Costa’s chance to dispel the perception that the Iemma Government won’t do anything meaningful for the Northern Beaches,” said Mr Baird.

“Over the past year I have lobbied on behalf of the Manly community for a raft of priorities that deserve government funds. If the Iemma Government was serious about governing for all, it would allocate funds in the next Budget for these priorities.

“The first is to fix the Spit. We’ve seen six years of announcements and no funds. Ignoring the escalating congestion on this corridor is nothing short of negligence.”

Mr Baird said a group of local commuters are using social networking site Facebook to urge the NSW Government to fix the Spit.

“If you’re fed up with sitting in Spit traffic every morning, if you’re tired of trying to squeeze on to overcrowded buses, get on to Facebook via my website and send a message to the Premier and the Treasurer that enough’s enough.

“There is a desperate need for more buses to service peak periods, more bendy buses on key routes – such as the E70 – and a reinstatement of the 141 Balgowlah bus that was cancelled two years ago.

“While the Transport Minister says it takes 35 minutes to get from Dee Why to the city in the morning peak – bus commuters would know that he’s dreaming.

“Another priority is the ferry service. We’ve had John Watkins come to Manly to hear the need for more funds for maintenance and more investment in customer service. It would be remiss not to allocate funds for technology such as SMS alerts if services are delayed and Wi-Fi to allow internet access while travelling.

“Although the NSW Government recently invested $170,000 in Brookvale Oval it’s nowhere near enough – we need to see funds in the order of the $20 million they’ve just given to upgrade the Energy Australia stadium in Newcastle.

“We’re looking for real progress on the new Northern Beaches hospital, a commitment to use the Seaforth TAFE site for education and the strategic use of funds that have been allocated for Manly and Curl Curl lagoons.”

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