Getting things done

Metro Tunnel CBD South Station construction

Over the past three budgets, the Andrews Labor Government has invested in the things that matter to Victorians – new schools for our kids, hospitals for our loved ones, better roads and rail services to get people home faster, and historic action to curb family violence.

The Victorian Budget 2018/19 continues this momentum, making sure Victorians can get good secure jobs, while also making our state a better place to live.

With cranes in the sky and help for those who need it most, it means hundreds of thousands of new jobs are being created.

The right skills for the job

More than ever, the skills needed to build our state are learned at TAFE.

We will keep building Victoria, and make sure Victorians are first in line for these jobs.

A strong public TAFE system will give Victorians accredited, quality skills that lead to good jobs.

But the cost of a quality TAFE courses should never stop kids from getting their trade so this Budget will transform our state’s skills and training sector by:

New TAFE and training places

Creating thousands of new TAFE and training places so more Victorians can access training.

Free TAFE training

Making training at TAFE free for 30 priority courses.

Overhauling career education in secondary schools

Overhauling career education in secondary schools so students can get the right advice to help them make the right career choices.

Improving vocational education

Improving vocational education by introducing Head Start Apprenticeships and Traineeships to give secondary school students the opportunity to learn their trade at school and get a job sooner.

Modernising apprenticeships

Modernising apprenticeships with new training materials, independent final assessments and bring back trade papers to recognise qualifications.

Creating jobs and working with business

Every Victorian deserves the opportunity to get a good secure job, regardless of where they live or their background. This Budget helps support and create jobs by:

Slashing the payroll tax rate for regional businesses

Supporting regional jobs by slashing the payroll tax rate for regional businesses from 3.65% to 2.425% – making it the lowest in Australia. This means that over the last two budgets regional payroll tax has been halved.

Investment Attraction Assistance Program

Providing $55 million to boost the Investment Attraction Assistance Program.

Premier’s Jobs and Investment Fund

Investing a further $10 million to boost the Premier’s Jobs and Investment Fund to develop practical ideas that strengthen Victoria’s economy and grow Victorian jobs.

Small and Medium Enterprise sector

Enabling a competitive and connected Small and Medium Enterprise sector, with funding of $13.5 million.

Helping more long-term unemployed Victorians

Helping more long-term unemployed Victorians, including young people, women and Aboriginal and migrant Victorians, to get jobs on Victoria’s major projects and find work with $21.9 million in specialised support programs.

Growing our agricultural industries, exports and associated tourism

Growing our agricultural industries, exports and associated tourism with funding of $16.1 million.

Boosting our digital economy

Providing $11 million to boost our digital economy with enhanced mobile coverage in regional Victoria.

Attracting business events

Investing $51.1 million for tourism marketing, attracting business events and expanding the Major Events Fund.

Victoria’s biomedical research

Helping commercialise Victoria’s biomedical research into local jobs and industry with $4.6 million in funding.

Hydrogen energy supply chain pilot project

Investing in the hydrogen energy supply chain pilot project, with funding of $103 million, including a $50 million Commonwealth contribution.

Government procurement activities

Investing $5 million in government procurement activities to help local businesses secure work supplying and building government projects.

Continuing our big build

Victoria is in a period of record growth. Our population is growing and our cities, towns and suburbs are expanding.

That’s why in our past three budgets, we’ve committed over $40 billion to the road and rail projects we need to connect communities and get people out of traffic and home sooner. The Victorian Budget 2018/19 keeps building, with:

Upgrade and widen some of our busiest suburban roads

$3.3 billion to upgrade and widen some of our busiest suburban roads, including $110 million to fast-track planning and design on Victoria’s missing road link - the North East Link.

Metropolitan public transport upgrades

$1 billion for metropolitan public transport upgrades, with more services, station carparking and rail line upgrades.

Fix regional roads

$941 million to fix our regional roads.

Upgrade regional public transport

$704 million to upgrade regional public transport and better connect rural and regional communities to each other and to Melbourne.

The things that matter

As well as building the big road and rail projects we need to connect our state, we’re also making things fairer with better schools and hospitals, more paramedics and new ambulances.

This Budget includes $5.7 billion to continue to make sure every Victorian gets the support they need, including:

Meet the demands on our health system

$2.1 billion to meet the demands on our health system, delivering 90 more paramedics and 12 new ambulance vehicles, as well as an extra 86,000 hospital admissions, 49,000 emergency treatments, and more elective surgeries.

Hospital infrastructure

$1.2 billion to build and expand hospitals across our state, including Australia’s first dedicated Heart Hospital.

This Budget is also providing $483 million to upgrade more than 130 schools across our state, $353 million to build and plan 28 new schools, and $272 million to purchase land for new schools in our growing suburbs and regional communities.

Shining a light on mental illness and addiction

Over the past three years, we’ve made a record investment in our state’s hospitals.

It means more patients are being treated than ever before, ambulances are arriving sooner and more Victorians have access to quality care, closer to home.

At the same time, across Australia, mental illness and addiction are hurting communities and leaving families heartbroken.

That’s why this Budget includes the biggest new funding boost – $705 million – to address mental illness and addiction. This includes:

Six new emergency department crisis hubs

Responding to people facing mental illness and addiction with six new emergency department crisis hubs, with ambulatory services and short-stay units to be built at Monash Medical Centre, St Vincent’s, Geelong, Royal Melbourne, Sunshine and Frankston Hospital emergency departments.

Providing community-based mental health services

Providing community-based mental health services for approximately 12,800 additional Victorians, and supporting 89 new acute inpatient beds.

Improving community-based mental health services

Improving community-based mental health services for people with a severe mental illness.

Improving treatment outcomes for regional clients

Improving treatment outcomes for regional clients with three new residential drug rehabilitation treatment facilities, each with 30 beds, to be built in the Barwon, Gippsland and Hume regions.

Expanding the Hospital Outreach Post

Expanding the Hospital Outreach Post – suicidal Engagement initiative to a further six hospitals, supporting an extra 3,000 people per year.

Prevention and Recovery Care

Providing more treatment options and improve clinical care in six Prevention and Recovery Care (PARC) units and developing a 20-bed PARC facility for young people across Melbourne.

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