- Published:
- Tuesday 5 May 2026 at 1:05 pm
With Donald Trump’s war driving up costs at home, Labor is doing everything we can to help right now.
That’s why the Victorian Budget 2026/27 delivers real help to make life easier, safer and more affordable.
We’re delivering free public transport for two months then half-price fares from June and 20 per cent off your rego.
Free PT then half-price fares
We’re extending free public transport until the end of May and then slashing the cost of commuting for the rest of the year, because the impacts of this war will be felt for months to come.
Half-price fares kick in from June 1 meaning cheaper trains, trams and buses across Victoria – every day, for everyone.
Under half-price fares, a full daily fare will cost $5.70 to travel anywhere across the state, not $11.40.
Half-price fares will:
Save the average daily commuter more than $850 from June 1 until the end of 2026
Keep a lid on fuel demand for everyone else filling up
Take cars off our roads, reducing delays for those who have to drive.
Under half-price fares, reimbursements will be available for people with myki passes.
Public transport will remain permanently free for under 18s and on weekends for seniors, carers and disability support pensioners.
Regos
The war in the Middle East is adding increased costs to motorists moving around the state.
Now, the Victorian Budget 2026/27 invests $758.6 million to slash your rego.
Currently, motorists are spending up to $930.70 every year on a car registration.
We will cut this by 20 per cent.
This measure will put up to $186 back in people’s pockets.
For families with two cars – that’s almost $400 back in your pocket.
This is real help, right now, for millions of Victorians.
Fuel
Fuel prices are also putting household budgets under pressure.
That’s why Labor’s Fair Fuel Plan is cracking down on price gouging at the pump.
$5 million will be invested for our Fair Fuel Taskforce to go after fuel retailers who are not complying with their fuel price reporting requirements.
Funding will also improve Servo Saver for the more than 479,000 Victorians who use the feature to save money at the fuel pump.
Support for families
This Budget is investing to make sure no child misses out.
An additional $59.4 million will support vital cost of living programs in Victorian government schools, including the Affordable School Uniforms, School Breakfast Clubs programs and expanding Glasses for Kids.
These programs are saving families money – providing free school uniforms, free vision checks and glasses, and free healthy meals at Victorian schools.
More than $8 million will continue our Kinder Kits and Prep Bags, which support children and young students to engage with their learning.
Kinder Kits provide every child starting kindergarten with free books, toys and educational materials.
Our free books in Prep Bags support family engagement with great books from an early age and encourage parents and carers to read frequently to their children.
We’re also helping more kids get into sport and active recreation, with more Get Active Kids Vouchers – helping thousands more Victorian families with the cost of memberships, registration fees, uniforms and equipment.
The program has already provided more than 250,000 vouchers worth up to $200 each to eligible families since it launched. More than 20 per cent of kids who received a voucher joined a sporting club for the first time.
Recreational fishing is one of the state’s most popular and budget-friendly outdoor activities.
That’s why we’ll extend the Go Fishing Victoria program with $5 million to stock fish in our waterways.
Making life easier
With war in the Middle East driving up costs at home, more public transport helps Victorians save money and time.
Investing in new trains will boost capacity for more passengers.
This Budget invests $673.6 million in 25 locally built X’Trapolis 2.0 trains.
Labor has added 3,500 train services to the network and now we’re delivering more. Later this year, we will switch on more services for the Craigieburn, Upfield, Sandringham and Werribee lines.
And in this Budget, we are delivering even more services on the Hurstbridge, Mernda, Belgrave, Lilydale, Alamein and Glen Waverley lines.
The Budget invests $14.8 million to deliver longer, nine-car trains on the Wyndham Vale Line during peak times.
All peak services will run as nine-car trains – reducing crowding and getting you to work and home sooner.
Thanks to the completion of the Shepparton Line Upgrade, a $29.8 million investment will deliver nine return services between Shepparton and Melbourne every day.
A further $317.7 million will be invested to boost reliability across the V/Line network.
An almost $100 million investment will deliver new bus services in Melton South, Casey, Dandenong, Drysdale and upgrade 20 other routes across the network.
We are making our public transport safer and more accessible for families and people with accessibility needs.
This Budget will deliver $4.3 million for safer and more accessible stations with upgrades at Clifton Hill, Northcote, Eaglemont, Broadmeadows and Donnybrook stations.
We will also deliver vital development works to support the future electrification of the Melton Line.
The $152.7 million investment, equally funded with the Albanese Government, will undertake works to finalise the designs, scope and costs to inform future delivery.
Keeping our roads safe
Road upgrades ease cost of living pressures by slashing travel times and reducing fuel consumption, putting money back in Victorians’ pockets.
This Budget invests more than $1 billion to repair and rebuild our roads – the biggest investment ever.
That means fixed potholes, resurfaced roads and safer streets for every Victorian.
We are also tackling illegal graffiti and dumping, with funding to clean up our roadsides.
School crossing supervisors keep our kids safe – and this Budget backs them with an investment of more than $16.8 million.
This will keep more than 3,000 school crossings supervised, so students and families can get to and from school safely every day.
Building more homes
Victoria continues to build and approve more homes than any other state.
Our planning reforms are boosting housing supply and making Victoria the best place for first homebuyers.
To make sure we are building more homes in the right places, we are investing $23.7 million to continue the delivery of our bold reforms.
We're unlocking Victoria's longest ever pipeline of new land for homes by continuing to deliver on our 10-Year Plan for Melbourne’s Greenfields — giving families more options to buy and build.
This Budget will allocate $15.6 million over four years – to continue delivering on our 10 Year Plan for Melbourne’s Greenfields.
Buying or building a home is the biggest purchase that working families will make in their lifetimes.
Cost of living pressures mean that budgets are tighter than ever – and we’re fighting to ensure working families get the safe, high-quality and affordable homes they’ve paid for.
More than $50 million expands the Building and Plumbing Commission – holding builders to nation-leading standards and protecting families from dodgy building work.
Housing for every Victorian
Every Victorian family deserves a safe home and this Budget delivers $47 million to help people leave homelessness behind.
This includes $26 million for services that tackle rough sleeping through outreach services.
More than $15 million will also help five supportive housing sites in Seddon, Melbourne, St Kilda, Shepparton and Mildura.
Another $6.1 million investment in the Tenancy Plus program will support social housing renters at risk of becoming homeless.
A new $860 million investment will support the Social Housing Growth Fund to help deliver more than 7,000 social housing homes over the next 10 years for Victorians who need them most
We are delivering more than 16,000 social and affordable homes across Victoria – with more than 12,000 homes already complete or underway.
Keeping energy affordable
Labor is making sure Victoria has the renewable energy needed to keep the lights on and lower bills for Victorian families and businesses.
We’re investing more than $6 million to fast-track renewable energy projects – getting cheaper, cleaner power to more Victorian homes sooner.
We’re helping Victoria’s most vulnerable families with $10 million for community housing renters.
It will make their homes more liveable and switch to efficient electric appliances, slashing hundreds of dollars off their energy bills.
We’re also investing more than $1 million for the Energy Assistance Program to continue providing free, one-on‑one energy savings advice and assistance for those having trouble paying their energy bills.
We’re also helping to make Victorian-made food and drinks more affordable with $15 million for food and beverage processors and farmers to cut their operating costs by becoming more energy efficient with new technology.
We’re also investing $124.5 million to progress the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal at the Port of Hastings to support the construction of Australia’s first offshore wind industry.
This will create more than 2,370 jobs, generate billions in investment and deliver affordable and reliable power for all Victorians.
Secure jobs
Victorians deserve fair, secure jobs.
That’s why we’re providing $5.4 million to implement a Local Government Fair Jobs Code.
The code will minimise insecure work in the local government sector, including outsourcing, labour hire and casualisation.
It means we’re prioritising wages, conditions and secure jobs for local government workers.
We will also establish a new regulatory body within the Department of Government Services to monitor and support councils to comply with the code.
We’ll support councils to attract and retain highly skilled, professional workers through safe, secure and rewarding jobs.
Making it easier to get free healthcare
We’re saving Victorians time and money, delivering good free healthcare at home or in the community.
This Labor Government has made healthcare easier to get with the Virtual ED, Chemist Care Now and our Urgent Care Clinics.
This Budget invests $109 million to deliver 45,000 more specialist paediatric appointments and 4,000 additional planned surgeries for children.
More than $130 million will boost our Better at Home program – delivering care and treatment like rehab and post‑surgical care at home.
The Virtual Hospital pilot is already proving a gamechanger, particularly for regional Victorians – now we’re extending the service, backed by $3.1 million.
The cost of private fertility care means too many Victorians are missing out on their dreams of becoming parents.
That’s why we’re investing $43 million to continue our game changing public fertility service and the public egg and sperm bank.
Helping families put food on the table
With households under pressure, we’re investing to make sure no one goes hungry.
An $11 million food relief package will help families doing it tough – because no one should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.
Families are being hit hard by rising prices, which is why Labor is helping food relief organisations like FoodBank Victoria to manage increased demand.
This includes the continuation of the Community Food Security Program, which funds local food relief organisations and coordination to make sure more gets to where it is needed most.
We’re also providing critical support for Victorians facing financial stress.
The Budget delivers $2.7 million to boost access to free financial counselling which provides real, expert help to Victorians.
This funding will help recruit an additional 17 frontline workers as part of the Financial Counselling Program
The Budget also invests $2.3 million to expand Bring Your Bills Day – making life easier for Victorians doing it tough.
Collaborating with organisations across the financial, legal, utility and government sectors, the program provides practical, in-person support.
Funding will also support people to navigate the financial impacts of natural disasters, including access to recovery grants, negotiation of insurance claims and accessing finance assistance.
This Budget is delivering new solutions to help Victorian families that are under pressure.
Only Labor has new solutions to make life easier, safer and more affordable.
Quote attributable to Premier Jacinta Allan
"Families are under pressure and I’m determined to do everything in my power to help them right now."
Quote attributable to Treasurer Jaclyn Symes
"War in the Middle East is putting household budgets under pressure – and Labor is helping right now."
Quote attributable to Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll
“We know times are tough. That’s why this Budget puts money back in families’ pockets with free school breakfasts, affordable uniforms and free glasses for kids.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams
“Half-price fares deliver even greater savings for commuters – giving you more options to leave the car at home.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio
"Cheaper, cleaner power isn’t just good for the environment – it’s good for the household budget."
Quote attributable to Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny
“Victoria continues to build thousands of more homes than any other state and our leading reforms are making it easier to deliver them.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Housing and Building Nick Staikos
“Every Victorian deserves the dignity that comes with a home that is comfortable and safe. That’s why we are making these important investments in this Budget.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ros Spence
“We’re delivering better, safer roads – and with 20 per cent off rego, it’s cheaper to get around.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Consumer Affairs and Cost of Living Paul Edbrooke
“Victorians are facing pressure at the pump – Servo Saver is helping them get the best price.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Government Services Ingrid Stitt
“We’re making it easier for Victorians to access the support they need – without the queues, paperwork or the run around with more than 200 government services now available through Service Victoria app.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn
“Kinder Kits are just one way we’re helping Victorian kids get the best start in life.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Carers and Volunteers Luba Grigorovitch
“Victorian families are doing it tough – we’re supporting the organisations that help them put food on the table.”