Health and cost-of-living help dominate budget

West Australian

20-05-2025

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE 2025/26 VICTORIAN BUDGET
* $2.3 billion in cost-of-living relief, much of it aimed at families with children aged under 18
* $3.3 billion will be slashed from the public service and a predicted 1200 full-time equivalent positions lost but details of the cuts and changes to programs are not yet known
* Net operating surplus of $600 million in 2025/26 but net debt is tipped to hit $194 billion in mid-2029 as interest payments rise to $29 million each day
* The government says health and wellbeing account for one third of expenditure
KEY COST-OF-LIVING MEASURES
* New $100 Power Saving Bonuses for households with a concession card holders, costing $50 million
* The Camps, Sports and Excursion Fund for students who live with a concession card holder will jump to $400 per child, to the tune of $152.3 million
* An additional 65,000 Get Active Kids vouchers for families to spend on school uniforms, fees and equipment worth up to $200 per child in 2026, which costs $15 million
* Rebates for electric heat pumps and solar hot water systems, costing $30 million
* $18 million for food relief charities and supporting organisations
* Camping fees will stay half price for two more years, costing $10.5 million
* Under 16s can continue to visit zoos for free on weekends, public holidays and school holidays under a $15 million program
KEY HEALTH SPENDING:
* A record $31b in health funding
* The additional $11.1 billion includes $9.3 billion for hospitals and $497 million for mental health
* $437 million to triple the capacity of the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department, which offers free consultations with doctors and nurses
* $167 million to improve ambulance response times, including recruiting more staff at Triple Zero Victoria
* $18 million to permanently allow pharmacists to provide certain medications without a doctor's script, including the contraceptive pill, and expand which conditions they treat
KEY EDUCATION SPENDING:
* $4.9 billion in education finding, including $1.5 billion for new schools and upgrades to existing schools
* $859 million to continue Free Kinder programs for an estimated 160,000 children
* Extra $133 million in funding for core subjects including additional $47m to improve maths education, introducing a numeracy check for students in Year 1 and upskilling maths teachers
* $27 million for pathway coordinators in government secondary schools
* $319.8 million to roll out disability inclusion reforms
KEY INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORT SPENDING
* $318 million for free public transport for under 18s and $2.2 million for free public transport for seniors on weekends
* $727 million to turn on the new Metro Tunnel under the CBD, with the final opening date still unknown
* $4.1 billion to expand Sunshine Station, which will be connected to the future airport rail line and Suburban Rail Loop
* $976 million to upgrade roads and bridges across the state in 2025/26, including fixing pot holes
* Extra $270 million to improve the regional rail V/Line network and $52m to increase services on three lines
KEY JUSTICE SPENDING
* $1.6 billion to roll out new bail laws, including $727 million to create an extra 1088 prison beds
* $287 million for a new Financial Assistance Scheme to support victims of crime with medical expenses, emergency financial help and counselling
* $65 million for a tobacco and liquor regulator, which has been touted as a way to crack down on the illicit tobacco trade fuelling a criminal gang conflict
KEY INVESTMENT SPENDING:
* $240 million to boost business growth and investment in the state, including a new $150 million Victorian Investment Fund
KEY EMERGENCY AND DISASTER FUNDING
* $40 million to replace Fire Rescue Victoria trucks and $17.4 million for the organisation to improve cyber security after it was hit by a cyber attack in 2022
* $10 million so the State Control Centre can run 24/7
KEY HOUSING SPENDING:
* $61 million to extend stamp duty concessions for homes on off-the-plan townhouses, units and apartments until October 2026
* $4 million to expand Mortgage Stress Victoria
KEY ENVIRONMENT SPENDING:
* $32.6 million to maintain the health of creeks and rivers, including the Murray Darling Basin
* $21.1 million to protect parks, bush and coastline
* $16.6 million in additional funding to Agriculture Victoria for emergencies and to support animal welfare
KEY INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS SPENDING:
* An extra $167 million for culturally-responsive and self-determined services in health, education and housing