The recent ACT Budget was something of a measure of how we've been going, given it is an election year...

The ACT Government's 2008-09 Budget has included over $55 million of new spending within Gungahlin.

This is the coverage on Win TV on our thoughts on the budget:

Further budget commentary and details follow:

Much of the road spending was required anyway to support the land release program. One key part of that road program will be welcomed by Gungahlin commuters though - the duplication of more of Flemington Road, worth some $20m.

Of new initiatives, the $18m community health clinic is by far the biggest ticket item - and something of an unknown to us too. While we believe that a "day hospital" would be a great boon to our area - bringing medical specialists to the north, we're yet to hear from Health Minister Katy Gallagher as to what this clinic entails.

$0.5m to solve the traffic problems around Burgmann School are warmly welcomed - see the related articles on this issue.

Next-stage design funds are there for key facets of the Gungahlin College precinct in the Town Centre - the library, aquatic centre and enclosed oval, but the funding to actually build these was not there - surprising given the budget was supposedly a four-year infrastructure program. We raised this with Minister Andrew Barr and he advised they couldn't include funds for these projects until the designs were complete so tha accurate costings were possible.

So that would seem to mean the design teams have their work cut out for them getting the designs finished in time for some big pre-election announcements!

The budget at a glance:

• $20m for the duplication of Flemington Road
• $18m for the construction of the Gungahlin Health Centre
• $5m for the construction of Horse Perk Drive to Burrumarra Ave
• $5m extra for the joint use library in Gungahlin College
• $1m to finish Harrison Playing Fields
• $0.6m for the design of the Throsby District Playing Fields and Netball centre
• $0.6m for the design of the Claire Hermes Drv to Barton Highway
• $0.5m for better access to Burgmann school
• $0.5m for the feasibility and design of an enclosed oval and swimming pool
• $0.3m for the fitout of the Forde community centre
• $0.35m for the design of the Sandford St extension to the Federal Highway
• $0.3m for the design of the Bonner Western Distributor
• $0.3m for the design of the Mulligan's Flat Road extension to the NSW border
• $0.3m for the design of Mirrabei Drive extension to Horse Park Drive