The Victorian Government’s 2025/2026 Budget includes significant investment in healthcare, especially hospitals, and its promise of free public transport for children up to age 18 can be expected to have many health benefits.
In delivering her first Budget speech, Treasurer Jaclyn Symes said the Allan Labor Government “is committed to Truth, Treaty and Self-Determination for First Peoples”.
Highlighting increased funding for hospitals, the Treasurer said that “almost a third of this year’s expenditure is dedicated to the health and wellbeing of Victorians and their kids – invested in our hospitals and healthcare workers”.
For details, the papers are available here, including a Gender Equality Budget Statement, which summarises spending on women’s health and on supporting self determination for First Nations women.
Compiled below are responses from the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), First Peoples Assembly of Victoria, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS), VCOSS, Council to Homeless Persons, Victorian Healthcare Association, cohealth, Mental Health Victoria, Tandem Carers, Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health, and Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.
In short, the budget brings some wins, some disappointing omissions, and calls for greater investment in prevention and early intervention programs, and mental health reform and community-based health services.
“Instead of growing prisons, we should grow social housing,” said VCOSS CEO, Juanita Pope.
Some wins for Aboriginal communities
VACCHO
VACCHO welcomes some funding wins for Victorian Aboriginal communities in the budget announcement but acknowledges there is more work to do.
VACCHO is pleased to see a $12.5 million commitment to Dandenong and District Aborigines Co-Operative (DDACL) which will enable the reopening of all its services at a new location, under one roof. DDACL was forced to close one of its buildings in Dandenong in August 2024, after it was condemned due to asbestos.
VACCHO CEO Dr Jill Gallagher AO said this investment is a long-overdue lifeline and a strong step forward for DDACL after three long years of tireless advocacy.
“Our ultimate goal remains a fit-for-purpose, permanent home for DDACL and one that meets the needs of a growing Community and the vital services it depends on. Today’s announcement is a great win for DDACL and the south-east Aboriginal community it works for, but it provides only interim relief”.
Dr Gallagher says that while the commitment for DDACL is certainly welcomed, there is still a long way to go in improving ACCO infrastructure across the state.
“Infrastructure Victoria has recommended that $100-150 million is still needed to meet immediate infrastructure needs of Victorian health and wellbeing ACCOs and an extra $30 million for urgent infrastructure maintenance. Instead, outside of DDACL, only $5 million for infrastructure has been delivered for the whole Aboriginal sector,” Dr Gallagher explained.
The Victorian Government has also channelled National Skills Agreement funding to Aboriginal Community Controlled Registered Training Organisations (ACC-RTOs).
This marks a fundamental milestone in recognising the role of ACC-RTOs in delivering Community-based education and developing the pathways of critically needed Aboriginal workforces.
VACCHO is also pleased that the Budget includes $16 million to support Aboriginal women on the journey into motherhood, recognising the importance of supporting First Nations families at the earliest stages of life.
Despite some wins, the Budget falls short in several key areas, in particular the failure to allocate funding to implement key recommendations from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, despite the well-documented mental health crisis in Aboriginal communities.
Dr Gallager says she is deeply disappointed that no commitment has been made to fund the urgent mental health services for Aboriginal children and their families, as well as two on-Country Healing Centres.
“Despite extensive Community and stakeholder engagement to co-design these initiatives, the funding to progress from design to action has not been realised.”
“The Healing Centres and The Nest are both Aboriginal self-determined responses to recommendation 33.1 and 33.4 from The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, to address the unmet needs of Aboriginal children and their families.”
“The Balit Durn Durn Centre will continue to work with the Victorian Government to ensure they fulfill their obligation to realise the intent of the Royal Commission’s recommendations and fund urgent mental health and healing services for Aboriginal people in Victoria,” Dr Gallagher said.
Additionally, there was also no direct funding to deliver an Aboriginal-led model of care in custody raising serious concerns given the pressing need for culturally safe health services in prison settings.
An Aboriginal-led model of care has been a recommendation to Government since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and numerous other reports, investigations and reviews in the almost 40 years since then.
Dr Gallagher said that VACCHO will continue to push for sustainable, long-term investment that respects self-determination and meets Community needs.
Mixed bag
First Peoples Assembly of Victoria
The First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria has assessed this year’s State Budget as a mixed bag for the Aboriginal Community.
The Assembly welcomes new funding for initiatives that put First Peoples experts in the driver’s seat of decision making, including investment in community-owned vocational education, First Nations’ business development, and joint management of Country.
New funding for the Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation to support their work on cultural heritage is a highlight, following their uptake of a reserved seat with the Assembly last year.
However, there is real concern for vital services – such as the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) – which continue to face significant short-term funding and ongoing uncertainty.
While the Budget allocates $1.6 billion for bail reform, much of this will go towards building new prisons rather than investing in programs that help keep our young people out of the justice system.
The $12.5 million commitment to the Dandenong and District Aborigines Co-Operative (DDACL) is a welcome relief, but sustained investment in First Peoples’ organisations remains severely lacking. Infrastructure Victoria has recommended an additional $100–150 million is needed to meet immediate needs.
First Peoples’ Assembly Co-Chair, Gunditjmara man, Rueben Berg said:
“This budget shows the Government is starting to get the importance of putting self-determination at the heart of all we do here in Victoria, but our community is still being left behind where it matters most—long-term, secure investment.”
“It’s disappointing to see so much money going into building prisons, when what we really need is investment in programs that keep our young people out of the justice system in the first place.”
Fiscal injustice and bad policy
Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS)
The Victorian Government is celebrating a Budget that, in their own words, is “Focused On What Matters Most”. It appears what matters most in the justice space to the government doubling down on repeating mistakes of the past by continuing to expand investment in police and corrections rather than committing to long term investment in early intervention supports and culturally safe legal services which would assist the Victorian Government in finally meeting its Closing the Gap commitments.
We have seen consecutive blows of regressive and punitive legislative reforms impacting Aboriginal communities since Jacinta Allan took the helm. Today there was no announcement towards the promised legislative or programmatic off ramps. This shows that the government continues to ignore our warnings about the inevitable harms our communities will experience as a direct result of ill-informed policy decisions.
Whilst on the face of it, the allocation of $7.7 million over two years for our Regional Justice Hubs is welcome; however, the short period of this funding poses significant risks in maintaining our high standard of legal assistance, our culturally safe spaces and our dedicated workforce. Our staff like any other Victorian are looking for long term employment and stability whilst enduring this cost-of-living crisis.
The over 50% of our peoples in Victoria living regionally, are also looking for stable and consistent Aboriginal-led legal service delivery, as they do battle with poverty, disadvantage and the lack of housing. Alongside the ongoing discrimination of the legal system, this budget outcome does not deliver that. The injustice is palpable.
Our Regional Hub model, which includes seven sites across west metro and regional Victoria has made a significant impact on the lives of Aboriginal people in this state over the past two years, it has been positively evaluated and shown significant cost savings to government.
Our clients’ stories highlight the value that Aboriginal community members place on having their cultural needs understood and met. This Budget is simply a repeat of the 50-year funding inequity that VALS has experienced with Aboriginal-led Legal Services receiving a dismal two-year commitment as compared to their mainstream counterparts.
VALS has been very clear that to achieve community safety, we need sustainable investment in the social services system, alongside access to legal assistance. This is an immediate need, not a future ask.
Today the Government announced an additional $1.6b into implementing new bail laws. As a comparison, VALS received 0.5% of that to support our communities, even though Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples represent 14.5% of the prison population in this state. This Government would rather acquit $36 million dollars staffing an empty prison for two and half years than invest in the community supports to stem the flow of numbers into the criminal legal system.
This Government has made it very clear that they do not care for the future of our young people. With an investment of $43.4m into youth custodial programs compared to $1.9m for a youth outreach program, they are instead intent on keeping them in the legal system. When you do not invest in the very services that provide such a critical support, our people suffer.
We have been calling for increased funding for Balit Ngulu so we can expand our model across Victoria given demand for this youth practice has grown significantly due to a 300% increase of young people being held on remand since June last year. We have also advocated strongly for funding to be able to provide dedicated youth legal assistance for a broader range of issues including child protection, family violence and civil matters. Victoria has the highest rate of removal of Aboriginal children into out-of-home-care in the country – we should be ashamed.
We will not deter from our commitment to supporting our young people in a holistic approach, through federal funding we will be piloting this very model in the Darebin region, and we will show the Victorian government the benefits of this wrap around approach.
Investing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal services is vital in addressing the overrepresentation of our people in the legal system.
We are still the most overincarcerated peoples on earth.
Quotes Attributable to Nerita Waight, CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service:
“Our Regional Justice Hubs work, they provide culturally safe legal assistance to our community when and where they need it. But right now, we can’t support everyone who needs it, and that’s why we sought more funding to expand our service reach across Victoria. To only receive two years surety for our current service footprint presents more problems than it solves. The fight is not over, the work continues because our people are being disproportionately impacted by this government’s ill-informed policy and funding decisions.”
“Today the Victorian Government has shown once again that the lives and futures of Aboriginal children and young people don’t matter, and this inequity is failing our kids. Postcode injustice and government inertia should not be the difference between our kids getting legal assistance and not.”
“Self-determination for our peoples cannot be achieved through short term funding cycles. We continue to call for the transfer of decision-making power, authority, control and resources to First Peoples, so we can determine the solutions for our people. The government must heed the calls of ACCOs, the Aboriginal Justice Caucus and the Yoorrook Justice Commission. Otherwise, Treaty and truth-telling will be hampered because you are not listening to our voices.”
“In the words of Yoorrook’s Chair, Professor Eleanor Bourke at the Press Club last week, ‘The justice system was not designed by, for or with our people. If you cast a net wide, as these [bail] laws promise to do, there will be collateral damage, like those experiencing poverty, homelessness and intergenerational trauma.’ The government has heard this time and time again, they have listened to our stories, heard the evidence of systemic discrimination, harm, suffering and trauma inflicted by the violent and ongoing colonial project. Now is time for action, and action takes funding and resources, not just empty words of apology. Today’s budget announcement means that we can at least ensure our communities have access to culturally safe legal services as they endure the State’s disastrous bail laws.”
Expanding prison beds but not enough on prevention
VCOSS
Victoria’s social and community services peak body, the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS), has welcomed a State Budget with its sights firmly set on driving down the cost of household basics like food, transport and energy.
VCOSS highlighted positive measures including:
- Targeted support for kids to participate fully in school and extracurricular activities, through the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund and more Get Active Kids vouchers.
- Continued investment in Best Start Best Life – which includes delivery of free kinder – and funding for equitable learning initiatives in schools.
- Some great targeted energy investments, including a further targeted round of the Power Saving Bonus, more rebates for hot water heat pumps, and money for the rollout of ceiling insulation.
- More resources for the state’s vital food relief services.
VCOSS CEO, Juanita Pope, said: “We also love that kids will be able to travel for free across the public transport network – especially kids who would otherwise struggle to get to school. As well as good transport policy, this is a crime prevention measure: it will keep kids from getting sucked into the justice system through fines they can’t afford to pay.”
However, this is also a budget that expands prison beds while underinvesting in addressing the root causes of offending.
“Any investment in prevention and early intervention to keep people out of the criminal justice system is eclipsed by the $1.6 billion invested into prisons and punitive measures. This Budget misses a chance to make the whole community safer,” Ms Pope added.
However, this is also a budget that expands prison beds while underinvesting in addressing the root causes of offending.
This Budget also does little to help Victorians who are struggling to get or keep a roof over their heads.
“Instead of growing prisons, we should grow social housing. Victoria needs to build 80,000 social homes over the next 10 years to catch up to the national average of 4.5 per cent. We’ll keep engaging with Government over the next budget cycle to unlock that vital investment.”
Ms Pope added that social and community services should be a priority for the Government’s industry policy and economic growth agenda.
“While this Budget keeps the lights on for frontline services, it fails to invest in the system architecture and new ideas needed to address rising inequality.”
VCOSS will continue to advocate strongly to the Victorian Government for investment in the systems and services that can change people’s lives and lift them out of poverty and crisis.
More ambition needed
Council to Homeless Persons
Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) welcomes the Government’s decision to answer its urgent calls for vital services to continue.
The decision not to end frontline services provides a lifeline for many vulnerable Victorians but CHP warns the state budget falls short of the ambition needed to tackle Victoria’s escalating housing crisis.
The 2025/26 budget, released on Tuesday, confirmed funding for 19 critical programs would continue. This includes support for Wathaurong and Ngwala Aboriginal Access points.
Despite Infrastructure Victoria and a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry backing a call for 60,000 new social housing dwellings over 10 years, the budget has not made new commitments to build more homes.
“The Victorian Government has recognised the need to continue funding critical homelessness services, which deliver enormous benefits for some of the state’s most vulnerable people,” Council to Homeless Persons CEO Deborah Di Natale said.
“That includes the Rough Sleeper Action Plan – a vital service supporting rough sleepers and connecting them to homelessness organisations.
“However, given the scale of the growth of the housing crisis engulfing the state, there’s so much more we need to do, and standing still is deepening the crisis.
“Victoria is already at the bottom of the national social housing rankings and without any new commitments in this budget we’re risking a crisis evolving into catastrophe.
“The lack of growth in front-line services, such as assertive outreach programs, will particularly hurt regional areas that have been asking for help.
‘’For a government investing in community safety, and tackling the mental health crisis across our communities, the need to reflect this in tackling the root causes of the homelessness has never been greater.
“With tens of thousands of people sleeping in cars, streets, and other unsafe conditions every single night, we need to drastically boost social housing through state government investment in 6000 new dwellings each year for a decade.
“Our world-class Housing First programs must be expanded after being scaled back in recent years so long-term rough sleepers get the support they need.
“A proper long-term investment in housing and homelessness is critical if we want to start fixing the crisis Victoria is in.”
Fast facts:
- 102,000 people sought assistance from homelessness services in Victoria in 2023/24 (up 4% from the previous year)
- 60,000 of them (58%) were women
- 13,000 were working Victorians (up 23% in five years)
- One-third of people seeking homelessness assistance in Australia are in Victoria, but we have the lowest proportion of social housing in the country (2.9%)
Healthcare funding commitment welcomed
Victorian Healthcare Association
The Victorian Healthcare Association (VHA) welcomed a $31 billion investment in healthcare delivered in Victoria’s State Budget 2025-26, and looks forward to more detail on how this funding will flow through to the publicly funded healthcare sector.
VHA CEO Leigh Clarke said this funding provides a good foundation for our health system to deliver high-quality care right across the Victorian community.
‘We are pleased to see this investment, which provides year on year funding for hospital and health services and will go some way to addressing the structural deficit, particularly with rising demand for care and health services across Victorian communities.’
‘While the Victorian State Budget increases funding for healthcare, we would like to see more detail on how this will flow through to the individual hospital budgets. Services across the state, including metropolitan, regional and small rural services, have slightly different funding arrangements and we expect clarity on this in the weeks ahead.’
Ms Clarke noted that the healthcare system is made up of more than just hospital-based services and these also require sustained investment.
‘There is a missed opportunity in this Budget to increase funding for Victoria’s Community Health Services – which deliver health prevention, promotion and early intervention services and provide a vital pathway for care that communities would not otherwise have.’
‘Funding to deliver on the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System is warmly welcomed, including $23 million to expand the Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals – which was delayed last year due to workforce shortages. We look forward to seeing where the seven Locals will be placed and the opportunity for Community Health Services to partner on delivering these.’
Ms Clarke said the capacity of the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) will be tripled – to respond to up to 1800 telehealth calls a day, as a result of $400 million boost to funding over 4 years. This will release pressure on Victorian emergency departments and streamlining access to healthcare for the community.
‘The VVED is a vital initiative which plays a key role in rural and regional areas by reducing the need for non-urgent transport and regional hospital admissions. It valuably contributes to addressing workforce shortages – including shortages of GPs across the state – and improves accessibility to care.’
‘We look forward to more detail on how the sector will leverage this funding, in particular Small Rural Health Services, Community Health Services and Victorian Bush Nursing Centres that rely on sufficient digital infrastructure to effectively use the VVED.’
Further, Ms Clarke noted that Victorians living regionally rely on fit-for-purpose aged care infrastructure, and the VHA would like to have seen more funding to support services to deliver the new right-based Aged Care Act on 1 July.
‘It’s positive to see some investment in public sector residential aged care (PSRACs), with funding to assist services in meeting nurse-to-patient ratios and prepare for legislative changes.’
‘However, aged care infrastructure spending falls short of the investment required – particularly for services in regional and rural areas, with $7.5 million allocated to minor capital infrastructure. This is significantly lower than the $80 million in targeted funding we had called for and highlights a gap for PSRACs who are facing growing demand for high-quality care against a looming 1 July date for commencement of the Aged Care Act.’
Looking ahead, Ms Clarke noted the opportunity around the formation of Local Health Service Networks on 1 July to deliver on its intended aim of increasing access to care, closer to home.
‘Today’s Budget demonstrates the Victorian Government’s commitment to supporting a healthcare system that improves health outcomes for all Victorians. We look forward to more detail in the days and weeks ahead on how services will be able to deliver on these announcements to provide high-quality care.’
Key points
- $9.3 billion additional investment over 4 years for hospital operating expenditure.
- $643 million for new and expanded hospitals, including to complete new and upgraded hospitals in Footscray, Frankston, Maryborough; community hospitals in Craigieburn, Cranbourne and Phillip Island; and expansions for regional and rural hospitals in Albury Wodonga, Geelong and Swan Hill.
- $436.7 million to expand the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED), tripling the capacity of the VVED which will be able to respond to up to 1800 calls a day, up from 600.
- There is no specific funding for Local Health Services Networks included in the budget, which will stand up on 1 July, and we expect that this will become visible over the coming weeks.
- $23 million to support the establishment of 7 Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals and $10 million to improve the quality and amenity of mental health and alcohol and other drugs facilities.
- $497 million to improve mental health services, with $309 million to maintain and operationalise new mental health beds, $126 million to support specialist mental health support programs including support for children and young people.
- $10.7 million for Alcohol and other Drug (AOD) initiatives, which includes support for the delivery of pharmacotherapy services across Community Health Services and strengthen access across the community.
- $7.5 million in capital renewal infrastructure funding for Public Sector Residential Aged Care Services (PSRACs).
More investment in preventative healthcare needed
cohealth
Leading not-for-profit community health organisation cohealth is welcoming the Victorian Government’s investment in funding seven new Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals in this week’s state budget, but says more needs to be done to support community-based health services that play an important role in keeping Victorians well.
“After the rollout of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals was delayed in the last state budget, it’s encouraging to see the seven new locations included in this week’s announcement,” says Nicole Bartholomeusz, cohealth’s Chief Executive.
“This is a great start,” Ms Bartholomeusz says, “but we also hope the state government will commit to funding the other Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals that remain in the pipeline.”
Ms Bartholomeusz says further investment is still needed to stop people from getting sick.
“This week’s budget announcement is another much-needed win for hospitals – but the healthcare system is so much more than that,” Ms Bartholomeusz says.
“Investment in health promotion, prevention and early intervention programs reduces the incidence of preventable diseases, improves health literacy and self-management of health conditions, and ultimately decrease health care costs over time,” she says.
cohealth is continuing to advocate for the Victorian Government to increase funding for health promotion, preventative and early intervention programs that keep people well. By addressing health issues early, people can live healthier lives, reducing the need for expensive hospital care.
Mental health reform in retrograde
Mental Health Victoria
Thousands of vulnerable Victorians risk falling through the cracks as Victoria’s mental health reform stalls.
Mental Health Victoria (MHV) has warned that the 2025 State Budget fails to deliver the
investment needed to keep the state’s mental health reform on track four years after the landmark Royal Commission.
MHV is pleased to see some continued investment in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals, workforce, and the continuation of existing community and integrated care programs under threat of lapsing in a few weeks.
However, this budget fails to meet the Government’s promise of a reformed system.
While an increasing number of Victorians present to Emergency Departments for care, the budget does little beyond maintaining the status quo and fails to address shortages in resources to crucial services to meet demand.
Commitments made by the Government to progress reform of crisis responses and support implementation of Victoria’s Eating Disorder Strategy are significant missed opportunities.
MHV is concerned that the lapsed Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Strategy 2021-2024 has not been evaluated, acquitted publicly, and updated. There is insufficient investment to address the retention, safety and diversification of workers, making it hard to imagine government will meet its target of doubling the workforce by 2031.
MHV awaits with interest detail of the proposed additional seven Mental Health and Wellbeing Local sites and has requested further information about how the funding allocation (which is less than that committed to the existing 15 services) will be implemented.
MHV remains committed to working collaboratively with Government and to supporting the sector – but the sector’s peak body says urgent transparency and leadership is required.
Mental Health Victoria Chief Executive Officer Phillipa Thomas said: “This reform strategy is no longer fit for purpose. Government urgently needs to re-engage sector leaders and the community to reset the agenda and meet the needs of Victorians today.”
“This budget was a critical opportunity to restore momentum. Instead, we’re being asked to celebrate a receding baseline, with many of the funding announcements made today only just keeping the sector above water.”
“For Mental Health Victoria and its members, this is a budget that leaves more questions than answers”.
‘Bricks and mortar’ State Budget a disappointment
Tandem Carers
On Tuesday, the Victorian Treasurer delivered a State Budget that offers little for family, carers, supporters and kin. Instead, much of the limited mental health budget is going to infrastructure.
“Overall, this is a disappointing Budget that harks back to a traditional, ‘bricks and mortar’ approach to mental health funding and shies away from more transformative, lived experience-led reforms. “It is vitally important that all recommendations from the Royal Commission are implemented in full as a matter of priority.” said Tandem CEO Marie Piu.
Tandem joins sector partners in the view that “the transformational reform promised to Victorians has been relegated to a diminished priority, and progress made since the Royal Commission is eroding.”
We also share the concerns of many that a shortfall of funding may exacerbate existing gaps in coverage, particularly for children and young people, and those with psychosocial disability who don’t qualify for the NDIS.
“The $23 million for seven new Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals is welcome,” says Tandem CEO, Marie Piu.
“These are the services that provide support close to home alongside the Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect centres, in partnership with people who have lived experience, including as family, carers, supporters and kin. These are the services that are bringing the Royal Commission’s vision of lived and living experience at the heart of the system to life,” said Marie.
Tandem is the Victorian peak body and trusted voice of family, carers, supporters and kin in mental health.
What matters most to migrant and refugee women and gender diverse people
Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health
The 2025/26 Victorian state budget focuses on what matters most to Victorians, and some of it hits that mark. This budget commits over $11b to health, including expanded hospitals, more opportunities to access medication in pharmacies instead of needing to see a GP, an expansion of the virtual Emergency Department, and additional urgent care clinics.
A continued four-year commitment to funding for the sexual and reproductive health information line, 1800MyOptions, is an important win for women’s health.
Other initiatives such as free public transport for under 18’s will make a significant difference to migrant and refugee parents, especially those who are feeling the worst impacts of the cost-of-living crisis. Free weekend travel for seniors will not only help financially but also help reduce social isolation of older migrant and refugee women and gender diverse people.
It is good to see that the budget includes a continued commitment to preventing gendered violence in Victoria. While it is disappointing to see that there is no growth in funding, which is needed if we are to continue to make inroads in stopping gendered violence before it happens, we are very pleased to see an additional four-year funding commitment for prevention and early intervention work in multicultural and multifaith communities.
Over 49% of Victorians were either born overseas or have a parent who was born overseas. The Connecting Communities program, led by Safe and Equal and Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health (MCWH) is a vital, tailored program that ensures that the whole community can play a role in ending gendered violence, and we welcome the opportunity to continue to deliver important outcomes through this program over the next four years.
This budget missed an opportunity to continue the Victorian Government’s program to boost gender equality for all. While Victoria continues to lead the nation in measures for gender equality, there is a long way to go, particularly when it comes to migrant and refugee women.
There remain many initiatives in Victoria’s Gender Equality Strategy, Our Equal State, that require targeted and sustainable funding. The budget does not allocate funding for important programs for women and gender equality activities, among these the MCWH PACE leadership program, despite its success over 15 years in bringing many hundreds of migrant and refugee women and gender diverse people to the leadership table.
“For Victoria to truly achieve gender equality for all we must ensure that specific gender equality and tailored leadership programs are funded, accessible and equitable” explains Dr Adele Murdolo, MCWH’s CEO.
This year’s budget makes many positive investments in a tight fiscal environment. We hope that for future budgets, we see a more robust investment into gender equality and primary prevention, both in the areas of health and gendered violence, because these issues matter most for migrant and refugee women and gender diverse people.
Allan Government backs people seeking asylum in Victorian Budget
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) welcomes vital funding announced in the 2025–26 Victorian State Budget, which continues the Victorian State Government’s commitment to the safety, dignity and wellbeing of people seeking asylum.
For the past decade, the ASRC has been working with the Labor State Government on shared priorities of protection of social cohesion, investing in and supporting multicultural communities, especially those most marginalised, and tackling inequality and exclusion.
Victoria is a proudly diverse and multicultural state and this funding reflects the Allan Government’s commitment to supporting and empowering people seeking asylum to rebuild their lives in our community.
The Budget includes renewed and increased investment in the ASRC’s frontline services – including support for housing, access to basic needs, mental health care, and vocational education.
Specifically, the 2025–26 Budget includes:
- Continued funding through the Department of Premier and Cabinet’s Asylum Seeker Initiative, ensuring support for people at risk of homelessness and in urgent need.
- Ongoing community mental health support for people seeking asylum over the next two years.
- Funding to continue access for eligible people seeking asylum to subsidised training through the Asylum Seeker Vocational Education and Training (ASVET) program.
ASRC CEO Kon Karapanagiotidis said the renewed support was a vital lifeline for thousands of people seeking asylum in Victoria:
“This commitment from the Allan Government helps ensure people seeking asylum can access the basics so many of us take for granted — a safe place to sleep, mental health care and opportunities for education and work,” Mr Karapanagiotidis said.
“We thank Premier Jacinta Allan, Minister Ingrid Stitt and Minister Gayle Tierney for standing with people seeking asylum and backing the ASRC’s work.
“This partnership with the Victorian Government, alongside the strength of our community supporters, ensures that people seeking asylum can live with dignity and hope.”
State government funding makes up around 10% of the organisation’s overall income and is directed specifically to its social services. The remainder comes from the wider community and philanthropic supporters.
The ASRC does not accept federal government funding in order to remain fiercely independent and advocate without compromise.
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