Victorian state budget: Roads, healthcare on the rural spending list

The 2022/23 Victorian state budget has been announced, promising $5.7B worth of regional investments. Here’s where the money will be spent.

More than $100 million will be spent on regional Victoria’s road network as the issue once again flares up ahead of the November state election.

Seven country school makeovers and 14 special school refurbishments have been bankrolled in the Andrew Government’s 2022-23 budget, released today.

The biggest ticket item for regional infrastructure in the state’s financial blueprint is $250 million for 12 new VLocity trains.

Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas going through the Budget papers in his office ahead of the state budget release. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Ian Currie

But little was set aside specifically for agricultural research and development.

Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas said more than $5.7 billion in regional initiatives were contained in the budget papers, with a focus on health care.

“The Victorian economy received an awful shock due to the pandemic, as did the jurisdictions around the world,” he said.

“We had to deal with what were confronting times.

“But I’ve been around for eight budgets now and I can say the upswing in the Victorian economy has been nothing short of spectacular.”

Three new public sector aged care facilities will be built in Camperdown, Mansfield and Orbost as part of a $146 million package with redevelopment of the Bright and Heywood aged care homes also on the cards.

A fresh $30 million will be allocated to the Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund, much of which goes into agricultural projects in public-private partnerships.

Nearly $3 million will be spent on Victoria’s push to open up new markets for agricultural produce abroad, with the new Vic House in Shanghai to spearhead sales into China.

State Agriculture Minister Mary Anne Thomas announced the new ‘Victorian Grown’ initiative, focused on getting more locally-made produce into shops and restaurants in Melbourne as well as regional Victoria.

Agriculture Minister Mary-Anne Thomas speaks at a press conference on travel vouchers at Sea Life Aquarium, Melbourne. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Geraghty.

The Weekly Times asked Ms Thomas whether Victoria would seek a cash co-contribution for regional development from whichever side wins power at the May 21 federal election.

Ms Thomas said Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud had failed to properly fund a range of regional infrastructure projects in the Garden State.

“And the Federal Treasurer (Josh Frydenberg) may be from Victoria but he hasn’t been working for Victoria,” she said.

Road projects identified as part of the $101 million package announced today include the Bass Highway at Kilcunda, the Princes Highway west of Colac, Portland Ring Toad, the Strzelecki Highway near Morwell and the Princes Highway near Bairnsdale.

The theme of the budget was ‘Putting Patients First’ and Mr Pallas announced a series of regional health projects including $6.5 million for Latrobe Regional Hospital to build a new mental health emergency department.

He also announced a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre for Mildura and upgraded mental health facilities in Shepparton.