Courts, prosecutions, Monash Freeway, hospital records all given a boost in 2018-19 state Budget

THIS year’s Victorian Budget would spread “good news” with no new taxes, but Treasurer Tim Pallas has remained coy about whether it would feature any tax cuts. Here’s what we know so far.

YOUNG tradies will stay in school an extra year to graduate fully qualified and ready to work, under a new $50 million program.

The Head Start program will give 1700 students at 100 public schools the chance to finish both VCE and their training at the same time, ­instead of being forced out of school midway through their apprenticeship.

It forms part of a big education cash splash, partly revealed by the Herald Sun last week after a confidential briefing was mistakenly released.

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It is understood almost $1.24 billion will be spent on upgrades and new schools, ­including a dozen in Melbourne’s growth areas.

Tuesday’s Budget will also include $109 million to overhaul careers education, with advice to be dished out a year earlier, in Year 9, and an online portfolio to help students chronical their work and land a job.

Education Minister James Merlino said: “We’re overhauling career education in schools to make sure our kids get expert advice earlier to help them make the right choices about their future.”

Treasurer Tim Pallas flicks through the Budget papers. Picture: AAP/Joe Castro

It was also revealed Monday night that almost $130 million will be spent on court resources, including the hiring of 21 new judges and magistrates, due to an explosion of cases.

The major courts boost includes the hiring of a new Supreme Court judge, two new County Court judges, and 18 new magistrates.

Three of those magistrates will go to a new Bail and Remand Court that began operating today, and which will sit in two sessions: from 10am to 4pm, and from 4pm until 9pm, seven days a week.

That new system was a key recommendation from Justice Paul Coghlan’s Bail Review following the Bourke St tragedy that saw six people killed.

A further $120 million will be spent on boosting the Office of Public Prosecutions and recruiting more police prosecutors.

Attorney-General Martin Pakula said more people were coming before the justice system and “being held to account” — but this required extra investment.

“We’re funding more judges, magistrates and prosecutors to meet this growing demand and to help take pressure off the courts,” he said.

It is understood $124 million will be dedicated to rolling out cutting-edge electronic medical records at three major hospitals across the Parkville medical precinct.

Patients at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne Health and Royal Women’s Hospital should receive faster and safer care under the new system, which will see fewer errors and bring an end to long waits for paper records and test results travelling between departments and hospitals before diagnosis or treatments.

The real-time digital records system is already operating at the Royal Children’s Hospital and will transform patient care and research in Parkville, according to Melbourne Health’s chief executive Prof Christine Kilpatrick.

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“Electronic medical records have been introduced in hospitals around the world and are proven to reduce medication errors, clinical incidents, hospital acquired infections, length of stay and mortality rates,” Prof Kilpatrick said.

“Parkville has a reputation as one of the top five biomedical precincts globally so we must keep pace with advances in digital health.

“This system will mean researchers across all three hospitals will be able to collaborate more efficiently, conduct more clinical trials with higher patient numbers, and larger researcher projects — ultimately saving more lives.”

The Budget will allocate money for stage two of the Monash Freeway widening. Picture: David Caird

And a second stage of the Monash Freeway upgrade, which will cost $720 million to widen the road between ­Warrigal Rd and EastLink will be funded in the Budget.

The second stage of the Monash Freeway widening works will also be handed $712 million, partly funded by savings made during stage one.

The widening will expand the freeway from eight to 10 lanes between Warrigal Rd and EastLink, and from four to six lanes between Clyde Rd and Cardinia Rd, shaving nine minutes off a peak hour trip between Pakenham and the city.

Other big items include:

● $153.2 MILLION for a Geelong City Deal that includes a new convention centre;

● $122 MILLION to boost the Office of Public Prosecutions and recruit more police ­prosecutors.

Earlier on Monday, Treasurer Tim Pallas said the Budget would spread “good news” with no new taxes, but he remained coy about whether it would feature any tax cuts.

“Where we can we make tax concessions, we do that advisedly and when we believe we have the capacity to do it,” Mr Pallas said. “Our budget is in a very strong position.”

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Mr Pallas also moved to reassure that the Budget was “based on a conservative fundamental” and would not collapse if population growth or the property market faltered.

Strong jobs growth and a hot property market helped secure a $1.4 billion surplus next financial year.

“We don’t expect that any external shocks could undermine the fundamentals of our Budget,” Mr Pallas said.

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Shadow Michael O’Brien Victorians deserved tax and cost of living relief.

“When Tim Pallas boasts about the size of his surplus, it is a surplus built on higher taxes and higher cost of living paid for by Victorians,” he said.

“That is not economic management, that is just taxing people until they bleed.”

He added: “We need to see tax relief, cost of living relief to actually make it easier for Victorians to make end meet.”

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@moniquehore