The Andrews Labor Government is getting things done, investing in the big projects that Shepparton and the Goulburn Valley needs and the people we need to deliver them.
The Victorian Budget 2018/19 delivers $4.3 billion for regional Victoria, making sure regional communities have reliable roads and rail, good schools and quality healthcare.
As we build our state, thousands of new jobs are being created. We want to make sure Victorians are first in line for these good new jobs.
Skilled workers are in demand across regional Victoria and more than ever, the skills required for these high-demand jobs are learned at TAFE. To ensure that cost never stops people from getting the right skills, it includes $172 million to make priority TAFE and pre-apprenticeship courses free – helping us fill skills gaps and get Victorians into work.
More students will be able to access this training and get these good jobs, with $304 million to open new classes and fund more than 30,000 new training places.
More young people will be able to get a trade and go straight into a job with new Head Start Apprenticeships and Traineeships giving students the option to undertake an additional year of high school, and graduate with an apprenticeship or traineeship, ready to work in a high demand or high growth industry.
An extra $44 million will also update learning materials, introduce independent assessments and bring back trade papers to make sure our apprentices are trained to the same high standards with recognised qualifications.
We’re also overhauling careers education in our state’s secondary schools to make sure our kids get better and earlier advice, so they can make the right choices for their future.
Because every family, in every community, should have a good school close to home, this Budget includes $181 million to build, plan and upgrade 60 regional schools.
Local schools to benefit include those involved in the $20.5 million Shepparton Education Plan and Ardmona Primary.
Right now, mental illness is hurting communities and leaving families heartbroken, so the Budget invests a record $705 million to give Victorians the treatment they need.
It includes more rehab beds, more mental health support workers, new and upgraded specialist facilities across the state.
A further $50 million will boost the Labor Government’s flagship Regional Health Infrastructure Fund, to make sure regional Victorians can get the best healthcare, in the best facilities, wherever they live.
And because our regional roads are not up to scratch, $941 million will get on with the job of fixing Victoria’s regional road network. The biggest road maintenance blitz our state has ever seen, this investment will fix hundreds of regional roads and establish a dedicated country roads body, Regional Roads Victoria.
Across the Shepparton region this includes $19.9 million for the Shepparton heavy vehicle alternative freight route.
This year’s Budget also includes $704 million to give Victorians in regional areas more reliable public transport, including $313 million for Stage 2 of the Shepparton Line Upgrade. This investment will pave the way for more services, boost reliability, as well as allowing VLocity trains to run on the Shepparton line for the first time ever.
Seymour passengers will also get more rail services, better connectivity and less crowding thanks to a share in $10.8 million worth of investment to deliver 15 additional services.
Our state is booming – by building big and buying and hiring local, we’ve created thousands of jobs and helped Victoria achieve the fastest economic growth of any state in Australia.
New government procurement offices in Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong and Shepparton will make sure regional businesses get more opportunity, while businesses in Shepparton will benefit from additional payroll tax cuts. The regional payroll tax rate will be 2.425 per cent – half the metropolitan tax rate and the lowest rate in the nation – helping local businesses expand and growing local jobs.
The Labor Government is also listening to regional Victorians, delivering almost $760 million for local priorities identified by our Regional Partnerships including $23 million for the Munarra Centre of Regional Excellence, a purpose built cultural and community centre to provide pathways to employment for Aboriginal Victorians in the Goulburn Valley.
The Labor Government is investing a further $11 million to reduce the digital divide and better connect regional and rural communities – another key priority from our Regional Partnerships – with the Mitiamo community also getting a more secure water supply thanks to a $10.2 million investment.
The Budget also includes $5 million to upgrade Echuca’s Court House alongside $760,000 to establish a Cross Border Commission to reduce barriers to services for Victoria’s border communities.
This is a Labor Budget that delivers on the things that matter most to regional Victoria. This is a Budget that gets things done.
Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews
“Wherever you live, this is a Labor Budget that delivers on the things that matter – new skills, good jobs, more schools and better roads.”
“It’s an investment in the big projects that regional Victoria needs and the people we need to deliver them.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Northern Victoria Mark Gepp
“This is a Labor budget to its core, something we are very proud of. Whether it’s upgrades for local schools, rebuilding TAFE, or delivering the biggest ever investment for the Shepparton line, we’re getting things done.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020