$3.7 billion in State Budget funding for rural and regional Victoria, boost to mental health

Mental health gets a $700 million boost to fund more local services. See what else rural and regional Victoria gets in the State Budget.

Mental health services in rural and regional Victoria are to get a $700-million funding boost, to stop there being a “postcode lottery” when it comes to access. Picture: iStock

The 2021-22 Victorian Budget will invest $3.7 billion in rural and regional communities over the next four years, with $700 milliom of that sum spent on boosting mental health.

“Every Victorian deserves the same level of mental health support — no matter where they live,” Regional Development Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said.

“The current postcode lottery that defines who gets care and who doesn’t ends now.”

The package aims to deliver the first 20 of up to 60 local “front door” 24-hour-a-day mental health services, with the first to be built in Benalla, the Greater Geelong area and Latrobe Valley.

Other major regional investment to flow out of the 2021-22 budget over the next four years include:

$187m for regional roads in the new Road Safety Strategy;

$613m to maintain the V/Line service;

$986m to build 25 new X’Trapolis 2 trains to be built in Ballarat creating 750 jobs (the trains will be used on Metro-Melbourne lines);

$759m for paramedics and more triage support for Ambulance Victoria;

$167m to deliver three-year-old kinder to every corner of the state;

$788m to reduce the impact of bushfires on Victorians, including $104m for community support, $272m in emergency service digital radio upgrades, plus $21m for CFA fleet upgrades in 2021-22;

$86m to establish a new Victorian Skills Authority, connecting industry, education and community groups to give them a say in what skills they need.;

$19.9m to fast track agriculture’s response to climate change;

$12m for Local Council to control roadside weeds and pests;

$11.7m to strengthen agricultural traceability systems;

$10m towards establishing a Morwell Food Manufacturing Precinct, which the government hopes will eventually support 1700 ongoing jobs;

$6.4m to Queensland Fruit Fly control;

$8.4m towards irrigator water infrastructure projects;

$1.4m to the Victorian Rural Women’s Network;

$5.8m for the Rural Financial Counselling Service; and

$1.1m for animal welfare groups, including Winged Horse Equine Welfare, Horse Shepherd Equine Sanctuary and Surf Coast Wildlife Rescue.