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Time of India
20-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Victorian budget 2025: Top things you need to know, sectors that were winners and losers
The 2025-26 Victorian state budget, delivered by Australian treasurer Jaclyn Symes , promises to deliver on 'what matters most' with sweeping investments in health, schools and public transport. Some sectors, however, are left out in the cold. Symes revealed a massive $11.1 billion boost to health, a $5 billion public transport blitz, and a landmark commitment to free travel for young Victorians, as per the Guardian. Here are the winners and losing sectors of the 2025-26 budget Winners School goers and senior citizens From 2026, all Victorians under 18 will be able to travel on public transport for free, using a new $5 youth Myki card. The $318 million program is expected to benefit over one million children and save families up to $755 per child each year. Alongside children, seniors will also enjoy free public transport on weekends. School-aged children will see an increase in support for camps, sports and excursions, with eligible students receiving $400, up from $154 for primary and $256 for high school students. More than 65,000 Get Active Kids vouchers will be available for concession card holders. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Glicemia alta? Pingue isso na água antes de dormir Saúde Melhor Idade Veja agora Undo Additionally, $1.5 billion has been allocated for new and expanded schools, and lower-income households will get a $100 energy rebate. Health sector The budget delivered a major $11.1 billion health funding boost, including $9.3 billion for hospitals and $634 million to open or upgrade nine hospitals across Victoria, among them Footscray, Craigieburn, Cranbourne and Phillip Island. Meanwhile, paramedics will receive $84 million in support, while emergency departments will benefit from $58 million aimed at cutting waiting times. A trial allowing pharmacists to treat UTIs and reissue contraceptives without a doctor's script will be expanded and made permanent. Pharmacists will now also be able to prescribe for allergies and high blood pressure. Travelling An almost $5 billion investment will see the Metro Tunnel "switch on" by the end of the year with $727 million committed, and $98.7 million will boost frequency on seven regional and metro train lines. Sunshine Station will receive a $4.1 billion upgrade as part of the Melbourne Airport Rail project, while $1 billion will go towards fixing roads and potholes in a 'better road blitz'. However, a planned upgrade to Myki is $136.76 million over budget and running 18 months late. Businesses There are no new taxes on businesses this time, with the government committing hundreds of millions to boost business capacity and investment. This includes a $150 million Victorian investment fund, a third of which is reserved for regional areas, $4 million to develop entrepreneur skills, and $240 million tied to economic growth strategies, such as red tape reduction and workforce training support. Losers Public service Treasurer Jaclyn Symes said the budget plans for 1,200 less full-time public servants, and that number could grow to around 3,000 after the government finishes its review of the public sector by 30 June. While Symes said these won't affect frontline services and are partly due to natural attrition, the cuts represent a significant downsizing of the bureaucracy. Homeowners Despite previous promises to help millennials into the housing market, there's no bold new housing vision in this year's budget. There's a modest $249 million joint spend with the federal government for infrastructure to support 4,000 new homes, and stamp duty concessions for off-the-plan homes are extended to October 2026 and expanded to more buyers. But Victoria's target of building 800,000 new homes by 2034 still feels out of reach. While the state is forecast to post a $600 million operating surplus in 2025-26, its first since the pandemic, the story lies in the $12.2 billion overall deficit once infrastructure spending is included. The government is sticking to its promise to keep net debt below 25% of state output, but the actual debt level continues to climb now forecast to hit $194 billion by 2029, well up from the $155.5 billion projected for mid-2024. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
The Guardian
20-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Victoria state budget 2025 winners and losers: families, health and public transport benefit as net debt climbs
The Victorian budget, in the words of the treasurer, Jaclyn Symes, was all about 'what matters most': big spending on free trains, trams and buses for 'every kid, everywhere'; billions more for hospitals; and a $5bn 'public transport blitz'. Here are the winners and losers. Families with school kids (and their grandparents) If you're Victorian and under 18, then from 2026 a new $5 youth Myki card will be your ticket to ride public transport – for free. In the 2025-26 budget there's $318m over four years so that every kid in Victoria – more than 1 million of them, the government says – will no longer have to pay when they catch a bus, tram or train. The policy will save parents up to $755 per kid in annual public travel costs. And the free travel will be for kids from all families, not just those on lower incomes. (There's also free public transport on the weekend for seniors.) There's $400 for eligible kids to help pay for camps, sports and excursion, an increase from the previous $154 for primary school kids, and $256 for high school students. There are more than 65,000 Get Active Kids vouchers for concession card holders. There's an extra $1.5bn to expand existing schools and build new ones. Lower income Victorian households will also get $100 towards off their energy bills. Health The Allan government has committed an extra $11.1bn to health, including $9.3bn boost for hospital funding. There's $634m to open and 'operationalise' nine new or upgraded hospitals right across Victoria, including opening the Footscray hospital and community hospitals Craigieburn, Cranbourne and Phillip Island. Included in the total additional funding, there's $84m for paramedics, and $58m to help emergency departments see patients sooner. A trial plan allowing pharmacists to offer a wider range of service – such as the resupply of contraceptive pills and treatment of urinary tract infections without the need for a doctor's script – will be made permanent and expanded. Pharmacists will now be able to prescribe medicines for other ailments, including allergies and high blood pressure. Commuters There's an almost $5bn public transport blitz, including $727m to 'switch on' Melbourne's Metro Tunnel, which is due to open by the end of the year. The budget also includes $98.7m to boost service frequency across seven metropolitan and regional train lines. But the big spending item is the $4.1bn to begin major works at Sunshine station, which the Melbourne Airport rail line will eventually travel through. There's also nearly $1bn in a 'better road blitz' to fix potholes and surfaces in 2025-26 alone. Businesses After being slugged with taxes, the treasurer made a point of saying their would be no new imposts on businesses, who have complained that they are copping the brunt of budget repair. This budget is distinctly more corporate sector friendly, with hundreds of millions of dollars over four years to 'help new businesses find new opportunities to expand and attract investment'. That includes mentoring and services to boost the capacity of small businesses and exporters. There's a $150m Victorian Investment Fund, a third of which will be dedicated to the regions, and $4m to help boost the capacity and skills of entrepreneurs. The budget also includes $240m to fund the government's economic growth statement, which includes measures to cut red tape and ease the regulatory burden on firms, and help train up workers. The public service The treasurer, Jaclyn Symes, announced the budget assumes 1,200 fewer full-time public servants, with the potential for that number to push towards 3,000 people once the government's review of the bureaucracy is completed by 30 June. Symes said that doesn't necessarily involve thousands of redundancies, as departments have already been trimming head counts by not replacing workers as they go. The job reductions are not supposed to come from frontline services. Would-be homeowners The premier, Jacinta Allan, in October said she would be the leader 'who got millennials into homes'. But there's no new, grand vision in this budget to address one of the country's major intergenerational issues – unaffordable housing. That's not to say there's nothing: there's an extra $249m – in partnership with the commonwealth – to pay for the infrastructure, like roads, sewerage and water, that the government says will facilitate an extra 4000 homes over four years. The stamp duty concession for off-the-plan homes will be extended to October 2026, and eligibility will be expanded beyond first home buyers and owner occupiers in a move aimed to boosting construction of new properties. Still, the 800,000 new homes by 2034 target does not look meaningfully closer. Budget boffins The country's self-appointed guardians of fiscal rectitude will find little to love in Victoria's 2025-26 budget, as the new treasurer pushed back fiscal repair to the never-never. Despite achieving the first 'operating surplus' since the Covid lockdowns – a skinny $600m in 2025-26. But after accounting for infrastructure spending, the cash bottomline is $12.2bn in the red in the next financial year, with deficits as far as the eye can see. The 'tough and difficult' fiscal measures under previous treasurer Tim Pallas have transformed into a big spending budget. The extra nearly $3bn in GST and commonwealth grants since the December budget update has been more than spent. The government says it will keep net debt as a share of the Victorian government from going beyond its 25% target, and that's what the forecasts show. But lowering the burden is a job that has surely been pushed beyond the next election, due in November 2026. Meanwhile, actual net debt levels continue to climb, at a faster pace than predicted in December, from an estimated $155.5bn by the middle of this year, to $194bn by June 2029.
Sky News AU
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Steve Price slams Jacinta Allan and Jaclyn Symes over $318M free public transport plan for under-18s ahead of state budget
A key feature of Treasurer Jaclyn Symes' first budget - offering free public transport for all Victorian children - is expected to cost taxpayers over $300 million, despite concerns that many children already avoid paying fares. The Allan Labor Government announced on Sunday the measure in the 2025/26 budget would apply to everyone under 18 statewide. The state government predicts the cost of living policy will save Victorian families hundreds of dollars a year per child, omitting the need for a $755 yearly student pass. The system will cover all modes of public transportation, including trams, trains, buses, and coaches. However, Sky News host Steve Price has flagged concerns with the move, pointing to the state's rising debt and the fact many kids already ride for free by not tapping on. 'Someone ought to tell Jacinta Allan and Jaclyn Symes that kids don't pay to ride on public transport anyway," Mr Price said on Sky News. 'I catch trams and trains around all the time, and none of these kids pay. "They don't tap their Myki on. They just get on the tram and get off at the other end. They wouldn't give a rat's a** whether it was free or not because they don't pay now." The youth Myki scheme is expected to cost taxpayers $318 million over four years. The cost-of-living policy will be the cornerstone of Treasurer Jaclyn Symes' first budget on Tuesday, which will also include free weekend transport for seniors. The additional public transport scheme is expected to save seniors more than $360 per year. Currently, seniors can travel for free within nearby zones, allowing them access to neighbouring areas for free, but the new initiative will extend to cover the entire state. It is expected to cost $2.2 million over four years. The Victorian Treasurer admitted the state will record a surplus that is $1 billion smaller than forecast last year, attributing this to the exclusion of additional taxes. 'We could have elected to have a larger surplus for tomorrow's budget. But what we did is choose to back Victorians,' Ms Symes told reporters on Monday. 'We know that cost of living, frontline services, these are the priorities that Victorians expect a Labor government to get behind. 'So we are investing in health, mental health, education, transport, all of the things that Victorians want. 'We are also offering practical cost-of-living measures, as well as delivering a surplus, which is what we promised to do in 2020.' Price highlighted the alarming rise in Victoria's debt over the past decade, noting: 'Ten years ago, the Victorian government debt in 2014–15 was $22.3 billion. As of 2024–25, or 2025–26, it's going to be $168.5 billion.' However, on Monday Treasurer Jaclyn Symes pointed to the budgets cost-of-living relief measures, downplaying concerns about debt levels when asked whether debt would reach $200 billion. 'The (net debt) aggregates will be revealed tomorrow. They will not start with a two,' she said.
Time Out
19-05-2025
- Time Out
Yes! All public transport is officially free for kids in Victoria from next year
Public transport is a contentious topic, especially in Melbourne. It's not unusual for the topic to spark a heated debate – just the mention of the Airport Rail Link will make any Melburnian's blood pressure rise. But now, the state government has made an announcement that we're sure everyone will agree is good news: public transport in Victoria is being made free for kids. There's no caveat here – this change will apply to anyone under 18 across the whole state, on all forms of public transport. It'll come into effect on January 1, 2026 – which aligns with around the time that bank card payments will start being used on public transport, with new compatible Myki readers currently being installed around Melbourne. The move was announced as a teaser for the latest state budget, which is set to be fully revealed on May 20. For it to become a long-term change, the Labour government will need to be reelected in the Victorian election later next year. It's an effort from the government to ease the pressure of the relentlessly rising cost of living for Victorian families, as it's estimated that public transport fares can cost around $1,000 a year per child. A new youth Myki will be introduced as part of the changes, so that children can still tap on through ticket gates at train stations. The youth Myki will stay valid until the child turns 18. Young Victorians living in regional and rural areas where Mykis aren't used will also be able to use public transport for free. Plus, Victoria's older generation will also benefit from a change to public transport fares next year, as anyone with a seniors card will be able to travel for free on weekends. This also applies to all forms of public transport, anywhere in the state. So passengers who use a Senior Myki won't be charged when they touch on – how good. Now, there's even less stopping families from getting out and about to enjoy the most of what Melbourne has to offer. If you're looking for things to do with the kids, look no further than this guide.
Time Out
16-05-2025
- Time Out
New Myki ticket readers are being trialled across Melbourne's public transport network
Remember the days of paper tickets and Metcards? Ahh, good memories. Then came the revolutionary new Myki system. Introduced in Geelong back in 2008, it was fully adopted across Melbourne's public transport network by the end of 2012. But fast forward to 2025, and the Myki system is starting to show its age. Some of the current readers are nearing the end of their life, while others can't be updated to support modern payment options. Yep, Melbourne's public transport needs a digital refresh to meet the expectations of today's commuters – and although it's been promised since 2023, we're yet to see any major changes. And we hate to say it, but look at Sydney where you can hop on a train, tram, ferry or bus using your credit card or mobile phone. While Melburnians do have mobile Myki on Android devices, iPhone users are still left out in the cold. That's why, starting in early 2026, the Department of Transport and Planning will begin rolling out new tap-and-go technology across the network. That means you'll soon be able to pay for your trip with Myki, mobile Myki, bank cards, smartphones and even other smart devices. The first step? A trial of brand new ticket readers at selected stations across Melbourne, including Upfield, Gowrie, Fawkner, Moreland, Footscray, Glenroy, Southern Cross, South Yarra and Seymour. If you're passing through one of these, keep an eye out for the sleek new readers. During the trial, the new readers will still only accept Myki and mobile Myki – no credit or debit card right now. But once the system is fully rolled out across the network, there will soon be more ways to pay for your journey. Here's how to use them: Tap on with your physical Myki or mbile Myki in your Google Wallet Make sure you tap the 'tap zone' (not the screen!) Tap off as normal at any reader on the network And don't worry if you're loyal to your physical Myki card – it's not going anywhere. You'll still be able to use it alongside all the new payment options. This upgrade is all about making travel easier and more flexible for Melburnians. At least we hope so...
