Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said the Labor Government’s 2023/24 Budget is “doing what matters for the north east”.
“We are making it easier to get around the state with cheaper fares, giving families access to free kinder and ensuring regional Victorians get the healthcare they need closer to home,” Ms Symes said.
“We know regional Victoria bore the brunt of devastating floods, with many north east communities affected.
“Recovery doesn’t happen overnight — that’s why we are investing in ongoing flood recovery led by locals, repairing roads and rebuilding important community infrastructure.”
The Victorian Budget 2023/24 invests more than $5 billion to continue the work the government started for rural and regional Victoria – with fairer V/Line fares, free kinder, planning for upgrades to key hospitals and supporting thousands of good local jobs by bringing back the SEC.
“Every three and four-year-old Victorian child can now access between five and 15 hours of free kinder a week, saving families up to $2,500 per child each year’,” Ms Symes said.
“We’ve already invested $4.4 billion in our once-in-a-generation Best Start, Best Life and Three-Year-Old Kinder reforms. With this budget, that investment is now at $6.2 billion. That's a further $1.8 billion to support the education of our littlest learners right across the state.
“We're upgrading schools right across regional Victoria, including $4.1 million to upgrade Tallangatta Primary School, with planning funding provided for others including Beechworth Secondary College.
“We are investing $116 million to open six new cutting-edge Tech Schools – with one in Wangaratta.
“We’ll invest $510,000 to continue the Education Benalla Program, delivered by the Tomorrow Today Education Foundation, supporting programs designed to reduce social and economic disadvantage in the Benalla district.”
Local sporting clubs are at the heart of so many communities – and more than 100 of them will benefit from more than $200 million to improve their facilities, including $15 million to upgrade the Benalla Indoor Recreation Centre.
“We are funding new and upgraded community sport and recreation projects across regional Victoria, including $3 million for court upgrades at the Wangaratta Netball Association,” Ms Symes added.
“We are investing $22 million to deliver four new PET scanners at hospitals in Ballarat, Shepparton, Warrnambool and Wangaratta improving our capacity to access cancers, neurological and cardiovascular diseases for all Victorians.
“Last year, we announced we would establish 25 Priority Primary Care Centres across Victoria. They’re local, free and easy to walk into – and they’ve diverted thousands of Victorians from busy emergency departments. We’ll keep them open with an investment of $20.2 million.
“We promised we’d make regional public transport fares fair – and since we capped regional fares at the daily metropolitan price, Victorians have already saved about $8 million.
“And we’ll keep improving V/Line – with a $219 million investment for almost 200 extra regional weekend services across the state, and $601 million for 23 new VLocity trains to be built right here in Victoria – supporting 500 local manufacturing jobs.
“Investing in biosecurity means protecting Victoria’s agriculture sector from the serious threats posed by emergency animal diseases, including foot-and-mouth disease.
“We’ll invest $17.5 million in skills training and equipment to prepare for a rapid response to any emergency animal disease detection.
“Victoria’s renowned producers will benefit from $31 million, including $3 million for farm safety programs, $10 million for the Distillery Door program, $5 million for the Wine to the World program and $5 million in hospitality scholarships – ensuring the right skilled workers to fill our booming hospitality sector.
“And to encourage more visitors to flock to Victoria from across the country and around the world, we’ll invest $32.5 million in Visit Victoria to continue its work strengthening our visitor economy.
“The budget invests $677 million in ongoing flood recovery, building on the $1.8 billion committed last year to help communities get their lives back on track.
“We know the October 2022 floods had a devastating impact on roads across regional Victoria. That’s why, for the first time, we’re investing an extra $2.8 billion in road maintenance over 10 years to provide long-term certainty, as we substantially repair not just flood-damaged roads, but roads across our state keeping communities connected and drivers safer.
“This extra funding means at least $6.6 billion will be invested in road asset management on Victoria’s road network over the next decade.
“We’ll invest $34.2 million to redevelop local emergency services facilities, including $6 million for a VICSES unit in Kilmore.”