This is a way more serious disaster.

It was with profound disappointment that the 'once in a century' federal budget had no money for the continued Ballarat/Melbourne Rail upgrade.

On federal budget night, well-known financial commentator Peter Switzer described the federal budget as the "greatest gift giving exercise ever!". The Ballarat/Melbourne Rail upgrade got no gifts from Santa Morrison.

Further salt in the wound is that the Warrnambool and Shepperton lines got funding before Ballarat!

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Unbelievable, when the Ballarat Line Upgrade has been listed as a priority project by Infrastructure Australia between 2018 and 2020. Neither Warrnambool and Shepperton projects are on the list!

This is ridiculous. How will we ever get anything?

It says a lot when with Ballarat's huge advantage of projected population growth (which will continue) and Ballarat's strategic closeness to Melbourne gets no federal investment for vital future building infrastructure at this time of largesse.

With some understanding of the process of advocating for Ballarat I put it down to two key factors.

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Firstly, Ballarat is not a marginal seat at the federal or state level. Ballarat is Labor dominated.

It is simply a fact not a criticism. It is democracy at work. Why would a federal Liberal government give any infrastructure funding to Ballarat?

Secondly, if there was any small sliver of a chance for federal infrastructure funding it required a 'full court press' of all major groups and industry in Ballarat.

I appeal to all Ballarat business groups, the City of Ballarat and major employers to urgently and collectively get to Canberra as soon as the borders open and advocate directly to the prime minister, the treasurer and the transport minister.

I appeal to our federal and state members to join in a bipartisan show of unity, by joining the delegation to Canberra. It is in all our interests to show this is something we all really want and need.

I appeal to the deputy prime minister to stop playing the person with the federal member for Ballarat, and read Infrastructure Australia's recommendations.

Please everyone - this is a once-in-a-century opportunity.

As a transport advocate who speaks for Ballarat, I strongly appeal to the prime minister, the treasurer and the transport minister, not to short change Victoria's biggest inland city.

We ask that in the next tranche of post-COVID Infrastructure stimulation spending (having consideration for Infrastructure Australia recommendations) the Ballarat Rail Upgrade funding is approved.

Nick Beale is an advocate for Ballarat

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