Five-minute guide to how Victorian state budget affects you

Pandemic recovery, health, education, transport and more — find out what the Victorian budget means for you and your family.

With the 2022 state election fast approaching, the budget is working hard to provide something for everyone.

Healthcare workers, regional Victorians, schools and job seekers will all find some level of relief.

The Covid-19 recovery, health, mental health and education are all targeted as the election looms.

This is what the Victorian budget means for you and your family.

ECONOMY

• Net-government debt is expected to hit $167.5bn by 2025.

• The operating budget will not hit surplus until 2025/26.

• Unemployment to drop to 4 per cent this financial year, will gradually increase to 4.75 per cent.

• Jobs to grow 3 per cent this year and 1.75 per cent in 2022/23

• Economic growth of 5.5 per cent for this financial year and 3.25 per cent in 2022/23 before slowing to 2.75 per cent over forward estimates.

• Government spending to rise from 87.2bn in 2020/21 to $90.7bn by 2025/26, with public service wages to rise by $5.3bn over this time to $35.3bn

• Revenue to reach $91.4bn over the forward estimates. Of this, money received from taxes to soar from $23.6bn this year to $35bn in four years time.

• Operating deficit of 2021-22 financial year $1.9bn lower than forecast.

HEALTH

• An additional 7000 new health care workers, including 5000 nurses, will be trained and hired.

• More than $2.9bn will go towards building new hospitals and upgrading existing ones, including $900m for a new tertiary hospitality in Melton.

• $500m will be spent to deliver the Barwon Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Geelong.

Thousands of nurses will be trained and hired.

COVID-19 RECOVERY

• The health system will receive a $12bn boost overall as a part of the Pandemic Repair Plan.

• $2.3bn will go towards upgrading and building new hospitals, including $236 million to double emergency department capacity in Casey and Werribee.

• More than $1.5bn will be spent to increase surgical activity to pre-pandemic levels, by providing 40,000 extra surgeries in the next year.

• $124m will be spent to put 90 more ambulances on the road.

EDUCATION

• A total of $1.8b will be spent on new schools and school upgrades, with much of the funding flowing from mid-2023.

• $779m will be allocated to recruit 1900 new teachers across the state.

• Various VCE and VET transformations will cost $277.5m.

TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE

• A total of $184bn will be spent on new and existing projects.

• $780m will be allocated to maintain roads across Victoria.

• An extra $250m will go to 12 new VLocity trains.

ESTA will hire hundreds more call-takers. Picture: Ian Currie

EMERGENCY SERVICES

• Nearly 400 new staff will be employed to increase triple-0 call-taking, costing $333m.

• $36.2m over four years was allocated for the State Control Centre.

• VICSES will also receive a $28.5m boost to help with natural disaster emergencies and CFA will receive $11m.

MENTAL HEALTH

• A total of $1.3bn will go towards supporting mental health services.

• 1500 mental health workers will be employed and $372m will be spent in workforce initiatives.

• $490m will be spent in acute, hospital-based care.

• A $21m package will also support suicide prevention initiatives.

REGIONS

• Regional Victoria will receive a $5.7b boost for various initiatives.

• This includes $2.6b which will go to hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games and a further $111m to boost tourism and support events.

• Critical maintenance works on freight lines in regional Victoria will also be upgraded, costing $181m.

The state government will contribute $2.6bn when Victoria hosts the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

HOUSING AND REAL ESTATE

• The price of Victorian homes is expected to drop by four per cent in 2023.

• A further $1bn in low interest loans and government guarantees will be made available to create 6000 more homes.

• $85m will go towards homelessness services.

WOMEN AND FAMILY VIOLENCE

• Family violence support for women will receive a $240m boost

• $33.4m in support will go towards sexual assault victims

• Child protection and family services will also receive $271.6m

LAW AND ORDER, COURTS

• $342m will go towards hiring 502 new police officers and 50 new PSOs over the next two years.

• The Victorian court system will receive $300m, including $41 million to clear the backlog of cases caused by the pandemic.

• $600m will go towards driving down youth crime.

ENERGY

• Victorian households will be eligible for a one-off $250 Power Saving Bonus payment, costing $250m.

• $300m will go towards renewable energy.

• $42.2m will allow 64,000 Victorians to take up solar panel rebates and zero-interest loans.

WORKERS

• $258.3m will go towards creating fairer conditions and protecting workers – including funding the Sick Pay Guarantee pilot scheme for eligible casual and contract workers.

• A $103.1m package will boost real-life work experience opportunities for students.

• More than $52m will be spent to create jobs, help small businesses and social enterprises grow.

Victorian households will receive a one-off $250 payment. Picture: Mark Stewart

WINNERS

• Overworked nurses and other healthcare workers who will gain 7000 additional colleagues.

• Patients waiting for delayed elective surgery, who will be treated under a $1.5b plan.

• People requiring psychiatric care who will benefit by the hiring of an additional 1500 mental health workers.

• Regional Victorians who will benefit from upgrades to infrastructure due to Commonwealth Games.

• Schools in need of upgrades – but this funding will be back-ended with majority of the money flowing from mid-2023.

LOSERS

• Motorists who will see no money or commitment to an East-West Link but vehicle registration tax-take to soar to 2.3bn.

• Taxpayers who will continue to fork out record amounts – an increase of $11bn over five years.

• Struggling businesses being forced to pay more payroll tax as credits are wound back

• Homeowners as house prices are expected to decline by 4 per cent.

• Crown casino will be brought into line with other venues forced to pay more tax on its 2600 poker machines.