The Victorian Budget, handed down this week, is pitched as providing “record investment in frontline care”, with hospital funding front and centre in the media announcements.
According to an analysis in The Conversation, there’s $287 million for families with children in government and low income private schools to help cover the cost of things like uniforms, $473 million for 16 new schools, $1.8 billion for hospitals, $100 million to kick start new hospital construction, $131 million for free TAFE, $58 million to remove unsafe cladding, $75 million to get the metro tunnel ready to open, $105 million extra for road maintenance, and $700 million to expand the government’s Homebuyer Fund.
While we await further analysis on the health impacts of the budget, below are initial responses from some key stakeholders, highlighting concerns for Aboriginal health and community health services, in particular.
Falling short for Aboriginal health
The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) acknowledges the Victorian Government’s decision to prioritise families in the 2024-25 State Budget. However, VACCHO believes that despite some positives, the budget falls short of providing the concrete commitment needed to support Aboriginal organisations who champion Aboriginal culture to keep families strong.
While VACCHO appreciates the challenges of delivering a budget amid a fiscally challenging climate, the budget lacks the comprehensive range of support Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) required to address the social, emotional, physical, and cultural health and wellbeing of Aboriginal families, and Communities.
VACCHO’s 2024-25 Budget Submission focused on four critical projects to remove systematic barriers for Aboriginal health and wellbeing whilst calling on a boost for critical cultural services and infrastructure for ACCOs. Of the $54.5 million VACCHO requested in the submission, the Victorian Government has committed $15.3 million – just over a quarter of what was requested.
The Government has delivered a welcome injection towards self-determined, ethical Aboriginal research in Victoria, with funding of $4.5 million over four years to be allocated to commence the implementation of marra ngarrgoo, marra goorri: The Victorian Aboriginal Health, Medical and Wellbeing Research Accord.
VACCHO also welcomes the $10.8 million investment supporting Aboriginal Health in Aboriginal Hands which will help support a number of projects through the next phase of delivery including scaling up the pilot of the Culture + Kinship Program, the successful strengths-based prevention initiative based on connections to Culture, Community, kinship and Country.
However, a key pillar of VACCHO’s submission was a call for urgent support for Dandenong & District Aborigines Co-Operative Ltd (DDACL) to acquire land and develop plans for facilities to deliver holistic models of care and replace rundown facilities.
VACCHO is deeply disappointed that despite serving as a vital lifeline for Aboriginal families, DDACL’s plea for assistance has been disregarded in this budget. Despite this setback, VACCHO will keep working tirelessly to advocate for investment to meet the dire infrastructure needs of not only the DDACL Community, but all Communities.
Other notable investments announced in the 2024-25 State Budget include –
- $4 million to the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) for specialist paediatric medical and allied health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
- $28.2 million will back Aboriginal‑led specialist family violence services and youth diversion services as well as dedicated in‑prison programs and supports.
- $7.5 million for improving cancer outcomes including enabling the cancer sector to better respond to complex care needs of Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islanders and culturally diverse people.
- $6.3 million to support the extension of the Yoorrook Justice Commission as the formal truth-telling process.
VACCHO Acting CEO Jim O’Shea appreciates the temperate investment into several of the critical projects VACCHO put forward but says the budget falls short of recognising the transformative health and wellbeing benefits ACCOs deliver for Communities.
“While I welcome the budget’s emphasis on families and the Government’s investment to meet some of VACCHO’s priorities, the reality is this budget is the equivalent of dipping your toes in the water compared to what is necessary to empower Aboriginal organisations to champion 65,000 years of Aboriginal culture and keep families strong and healthy.”
“VACCHO is particularly concerned by the Victorian Government’s decision not to allocate any additional funding to DDACL, who have been fighting tooth and nail for Communities for half a century. Consequently, the staunch and dedicated team at DDACL has been left to support one of the fastest growing Aboriginal populations in Australia in buildings that are falling apart.”
“Supporting Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations to do what they do best alleviates the demand on the already overstretched health system. There are also broader positive impacts to the other systems – education, justice, child protection, youth services and family and social services – with positive flow on impacts to the wider Victorian economy.”
VACCHO will deliver a comprehensive analysis of the 2024-25 Victorian Budget in the coming days.
What about community health services?
Statement by Cohealth
Not-for-profit community health service, cohealth, says that this year’s state Budget is a win for hospitals, but neglects to provide the investment in community health services that keep people out of hospital.
Acknowledging that the Victorian Government had the challenging task of repairing a budget that has been ravaged by COVID, cohealth said that investment in preventative health care, health promotion and chronic disease management would save taxpayer dollars in the long-run.
“Strengthening the health system requires investment across the health sector, not just at the pointy end of hospitals and emergency services,” said Christopher Turner, Acting Chief Executive, cohealth.
“Properly funded hospitals are essential, but investment in community health can help prevent costly hospital admissions by managing chronic conditions and targeting care to those most in need.”
“The community health model delivers enormous benefits to people in need and to the broader health system and we must ensure that it is properly resourced to do this vital work,” said Mr Turner.
Lip service to Aboriginal self-determination
Statement by Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service
The Victorian Government announced an additional four years of base-level funding for VALS’ specialist Balit Ngulu and Baggarrook programs with a commitment for these programs to be made ongoing from the 2027/2028 Financial Year.
While VALS welcomes this announcement, the lack of increased resources to accommodate the ever-expanding demand for these services presents a significant challenge. To continue to meet the needs of our community, VALS’ services should be expanded to support all Aboriginal women, children and young people who require culturally safe legal assistance and representation.
VALS has advocated strongly for the expansion and long-term funding of our two specialist programs, Balit Ngulu, a specialist youth program dedicated to providing legal assistance and representations to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, and Baggarrook, an intensive support program for Aboriginal women transitioning from custody that are at high risk of homelessness and family violence.
The national crisis of violence against women requires investment in specialist responses including Aboriginal-led solutions. The Allan Government has spoken today to its commitment to truth, treaty and self-determination for First Peoples, as well as its commitment to address the scourge of violence against women, however, this is not reflected in its decision to only continue base-level funding for Baggarrook and Balit Ngulu. These services are an integral part of a holistic response for Aboriginal women and children impacted by family violence.
The Victorian Government has announced $30.8m over the next three years for a two-year trial of electronic monitoring of up to 50 young people who have not yet been convicted of a crime.
Electronic monitoring of people on bail is not a new idea. It has been tried in many places and it has failed, including in Victoria. Electronic monitoring systems have been found to have many of the same harmful impacts of incarceration and they replicate the same racism and discrimination as every other form of policing and incarceration.
There is no evidence that this approach works with young people, so they are only setting up young people to fail and end up incarcerated.
The Government’s investment in electronic monitoring, a punitive approach to a small number of young people, represents a 10-fold investment of what has been committed to Balit Ngulu. If Balit Ngulu funding had been expanded we would have been able to assist many more young people, in a trauma informed, holistic approach.
Balit Ngulu has been successfully evaluated twice, we know this program works, and the evaluation spoke to the need of expansion each time as have subsequent independent inquiries. Electronic monitoring does not work, but our Balit Ngulu program continues to show incredibly positive outcomes for the young people we support and we would urge them to ensure Aboriginal children have access to culturally safe legal services in all domains of law.
Victorian prisons are not safe for Aboriginal people, numerous coronial inquests, alongside the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, the Yoorrook for Justice Report and numerous other inquiries have found this. Government must invest in diversionary and transitional support programs to ensure no women are left in custody when they could be with their families.
Women like Heather Calgaret, whose passing in custody is currently before the Coroner’s Court, deserve to be safe. With greater capacity in our Baggarrook program we can assist more women to safely reintegrate in society and be connected with their community, culture and Country. We will work with the Department of Justice and Community Safety post budget to ensure we can adequately support Aboriginal women transitioning out of custody.
Premier Allan, in her evidence to the Yoorrook Justice Commission earlier this month, acknowledged how the hangovers of colonisation are far from cured today, and that there is a lot of work to be done to achieve true self-determination for Aboriginal people in Victoria. Premier Allan announced her commitment to Treaty and justice, and VALS calls on Premier Allen to deliver on this commitment by funding the expansion of our services. We look forward to working with the Victorian Government to increase the availability of high-quality and culturally safe legal services for Aboriginal people across Victoria so we can ensure that all Aboriginal people can access the services they need, when and where they want them.
We call on the Federal Government to work with the Victorian Government to fund VALS so we can adequately address resource constraints and meet the needs of our communities to ensure they are strong now and for generations to come. This is part of their commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children and the Uluru Statement of the Heart and we implore them to put those commitments into action.
Nerita Waight, CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service:
“Investing in funding services like Balit Ngulu and Baggarrook is vital in addressing the overrepresentation of Aboriginal women, children and young people in the legal system.”
“The investment triangle needs to change. Rather than investing the most in carceral responses, The Victorian Government needs to invest in preventative, early intervention and rehabilitation services. When budgets are tight, we should be placing resources where they have the biggest impact on the ground rather than on the front page of a newspaper.”
“How can the Victorian Government say they are committed to the path towards Treaty and self-determination when they continue to deprive Aboriginal Communities of the resources we need to thrive? While government rhetoric speaks to a commitment to Aboriginal self-determination, actions and numbers speak louder than words.”
“As we move towards negotiating treaty in Victoria, the government must become treaty ready, this means transferring decision making, authority and resources to ACCOs and the work needs to start now.”
Negar Panahi, Principal Managing Lawyer of Balit Ngulu:
“Balit Ngulu provides holistic, trauma-informed and wrap-around supports to our young clients. If we allow this program to falter, if we fail to provide ongoing support, we risk undoing all the progress we’ve made. This will no doubt have incredibly devastating impacts.”
“Expansion of Balit Ngulu’s service across Victoria is needed to make sure no Aboriginal child or young person misses out on holistic services. Our youth deserve more than just band-aid solutions, they deserve comprehensive support systems that honour their cultural heritage and identity.”
“Failing to fund the expansion of Balit Ngulu means that we can’t progress further into the family division for young people. If we had the funding to expand into the family division, it would allow for positive intervention at a much earlier stage and therefore reduce the likelihood of a first contact with the criminal legal system.”
“It is incredibly concerning to see a lack of adequate investment in programs and services like Balit Ngulu that work towards empowering young people to re-engage in positive behaviours, like schooling, employment and connecting with culture, which is a protective factor. Many of the young people Balit Ngulu supports have experienced family violence and homelessness and they need legal assistance.”
Marie Mitchell, Statewide Community Justice Programs Leader:
“Demand for our Baggarrook program far outweighs our capacity. Aboriginal women in custody are asking us to expand our services so we can support more people, but our hands are tied by our funding constraints. Aboriginal women deserve to access Aboriginal services – it’s important that the government hears this demand and commits to expanding our funding.”
“Providing Aboriginal women exiting prison with culturally safe reintegration supports is empowering. Our clients fell seen, heard and empowered to make strides in moving back into life in the community. The impact of the program is immeasurable and goes far beyond providing a safe place to live after prison – it builds confidence and skills for reintegration.”
Victorian Government fails on Aboriginal women’s and children’s safety
Statement by Djirra
Djirra is more than disappointed by the Allan Government’s failure to invest in Aboriginal women’s and children’s safety, and Djirra’s self-determined solutions to end family violence.
The demand for Djirras services continues to rise. “We experienced a 33% increase in demand for our specialist frontline services in 2023, and in just this last quarter, another 22% increase in our intake. However, there is no funding to reflect this,” CEO Antoinette Braybrook AM said.
In the west of Melbourne alone, the number of Aboriginal women reaching out to Djirra for legal help increased by 114% since opening our Melton office in July 2023. This will only continue to increase with the establishment of the new specialist family violence court at Wyndham.
This 2024 ‘helping families’ budget fails to support the growing number of Aboriginal women losing their children because of family violence, but rather invests in measures that criminalise Aboriginal children.
This 2024 budget has no new funding for Djirra. Djirra’s funding has remained static since it was first provided eight years ago following the Royal Commission into Family Violence (RCFV).
“It’s unacceptable that the government can invest $34 million in a pilot of ankle bracelet surveillance of those children fortunate enough to get bail, but not find one dollar to increase investment in the frontline services that keep children safe with their mums.” Ms Braybrook said.
This budget is punitive. It’s introducing more tough on crime approaches rather than investing in saving lives and keeping women and children safe.
This budget provides some continued funding for Djirra’s existing life changing programs such as key early intervention initiatives identified by the RCFV as best practice – our Koori Women’s Place, Sisters Day Out and Dilly Bag.
Of major concern, funding is unconfirmed for several of our other essential life changing and lifesaving programs. This includes Djirra’s Prison Support Program for our women in and exiting prison which will lapse at the end of June 2024 – only several weeks away.
“The Victorian Government tells Djirra to expect continued funding for these programs through a proposed women’s safety package which will be announced at an unspecified time in the future – but it is not good enough that this funding has not been guaranteed in the actual budget,” said Ms Braybrook. “As we wait for ongoing funding, the safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal women is compromised. As we wait for ongoing funding we will lose staff and client trust will erode.”
Djirra will continue to advocate on behalf of the thousands of amazing Aboriginal women and children whose lives we touch every day. Our lives must be valued, our self-determination and priority and invested in. 
Some positive investments
Statement by Jesuit Social Services
The Victorian Budget 2024/25, handed down today amid a tight fiscal environment and cost-of-living pressures experienced by many in the community, delivers some positive and responsible investments into early interventions that will support people to lead healthy and positive lives, says Jesuit Social Services.
“We acknowledge that this is a challenging time for many Victorians. At a time like this, the Victorian Government has to make hard choices about the investments it can make into addressing disadvantage and ensuring that all members of the community have the opportunity to flourish,” says Jesuit Social Services CEO Julie Edwards.
“The Budget contains some positive investments into early intervention with at-risk groups to address complex needs. This includes $28 million to connect young people in or at-risk of entering the justice system with education and funding to Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations to reduce interactions with the justice system and support women and children experiencing family violence.”
Jesuit Social Services welcomes further funding for the Respectful Relationships program, to support young people of all genders to lead safe and healthy lives.
“We know that supporting schools to promote respectful and positive attitudes and behaviours is paramount in creating stronger, safer communities for all genders, and we are pleased to be able to partner with the Victorian Government to deliver this work.
“Sadly, there are also some missed opportunities. Social housing and, in particular public housing, is under represented in this Budget despite demand for social and affordable housing continuing to increase. We supported calls from our sector for this Budget to fund at least 60,000 safe, sustainable and supported public and community homes by 2032, but this has not been met.
“We are also concerned at the $34m investment to trial electronic monitoring of some young offenders on bail. There is little evidence that electronic monitoring works to reduce re-offending, and we call the Government to instead invest more into evidence-based interventions. We need support services that work with at-risk young people to prevent crime from occurring”
“We would have liked to have seen more spent on suicide prevention interventions, particularly given Victoria experienced its highest number of suicides on record in 2023.”
Ms Edwards says Jesuit Social Services welcomes $112m to support alcohol and drug courts, $6.8m to extend the Yoorrook Justice Commission and $4.4m to provide medical care to refugees and people seeking asylum who are not eligible for Medicare or other supports, among other initiatives.
Welcome investments
Statement by Victorian Women’s Health Services Network
The Victorian Women’s Health Services Network (WHSN) welcomes this year’s focus on cost of living relief for families and the additional $269 million towards the safety of women and children, in addressing gender-based violence.
WHSN Chair and Women’s Health Loddon Mallee Chief Executive Officer Tricia Currie, said the network is pleased to see that in spite of the expected budget tightening measures, the Victorian Government has demonstrated its ongoing commitment to gender and health equality, and to addressing gender-based violence.
“Our network acknowledges the challenging nature of the State’s finances. Through this budget, the Allan Government has succeeded in recognising the value of investing in the equitable health and wellbeing of Victorians, which the WHSN has demonstrated will produce a return on equity.”
“This year’s focus on cost of living and investment in health, wellbeing and prevention will continue momentum towards a safer, more equitable Victoria,” Ms Currie said.
“The reduction of cost of living pressures, which we know disproportionately impacts women, is a welcome focus of the 2024/25 state budget.
“Because economic security is a social determinant of health, we are cautiously optimistic that measures within the budget to offer economic relief to families and strengthen women’s economic inclusion will contribute to increased access to health and wellbeing.”
Ms Currie said the network was supportive of the Gender Equality Budget Statement, particularly the move to embed gender responsive budgeting into legislation.
“As international best-practice, gender responsive budgeting acknowledges the importance of considering the suite of initiatives and investment within the budget through a gender lens,” Ms Currie said.
“This can be seen within the Gender Equality Budget Statement which acknowledges the crucial interaction between gender inequity and areas like housing, mental health, employment and opportunities to participate in public life.”
The Gender Equality Budget Statement also includes a particular focus on women’s pain and specific health needs, including sexual and reproductive health.
“The Allan Government’s focus on addressing the gender pain gap through an ongoing Inquiry supports the improvement of sexual and reproductive health, an area we would ideally like to see attracting greater investment in future budgets,” Ms Currie said.
“While we still have a long road to travel towards a gender equal Victoria, as has been keenly demonstrated by the devastating toll of gender-based violence this year, the State Government continues to show leadership in this space.”
“We know that effective prevention, early intervention and response to gender-based violence requires sustained, long-term investment and adequate resourcing.”
Ms Currie said the Victorian Government’s acknowledgement of the intersecting experiences of Victorian women within the budget was crucial to meeting women’s health needs.
“The focus on tailored support for women of intersecting identities, including transgender women, women with disabilities and women from migrant and refugee backgrounds within our healthcare system shows that the Government is striving to improve health equity,” Ms Currie said.
“While the Victorian Women’s Health Services Network is pleased with this budget’s focus and commitment to health and gender equity, it is crucial to acknowledge that we still have a long way to go in achieving optimal health, wellbeing and safety for all Victorians.”
What it means for migrant and refugee women
Statement by Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health
The Victorian government demonstrated a promising investment into women’s health and wellbeing by dedicating $18.3m over two years for Women’s Health Services to continue their critical work keeping Victorian women healthy and continuing to move Victoria forward toward gender equity. This allocation includes $1.49m for the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health (MCWH).
This investment is welcome news for migrant and refugee women, gender diverse and non-binary people across Victoria, who will continue to have access to MCWH’s tailored, in-language health education and gender equity programs. They will also be able to continue to rely on MCWH to represent their interests and promote their wellbeing through evidence-based advocacy and policy input to government. As Victoria’s only migrant and refugee women’s health service, it is vital that MCWH’s services are adequately and sustainably funded. Through this investment, the Victorian government has demonstrated a commitment to taking gender equity seriously for all women.
Women and girls born overseas in a main non-English speaking country (MNESC) make up 25.8% of Victoria’s female population. While they make a robust contribution to Victoria’s economic, social and civic life, there are many significant systemic barriers that prevent them from achieving optimum health and wellbeing, as well as safety and equity in the workplace and broader communities.
MCWH’s budget submission to the Victorian government called for $5,917,458 to fund urgent health prevention and promotion programs for migrant and refugee women. The $1,490,000 of dedicated funding to MCWH for a two-year period is a positive step. However, there is more to be done to ensure that all Victorians can move ahead together. Migrant and refugee women need additional investments in the areas of mental health, sexual and reproductive health and workplace safety. Government budgets should also acknowledge that multicultural communities are important participants in the process of preventing gendered violence, and that funding is required to support the specialist expertise needed to get it right. It was disappointing to see that the Victorian Government’s Sick Pay Guarantee program, an important initiative that extended sick pay entitlements to casually employed workers, many of whom are migrant and refugee women, will come to an end.
“While Victoria continues to lead the nation in measures for gender equality and in commitments to improving women’s health, many policies, services and investments still leave migrant and refugee women behind”, states Dr Adele Murdolo, MCWH’s CEO. “For Victoria to truly achieve gender equality and feel the benefits of gender equal investment, we must ensure that programs are accessible, equitable and tailored for the specific needs of migrant and refugee women.”
It is clear that this budget has been delivered in a tight fiscal environment, but we hope that for future funding commitments and budgets, we see robust investment into the implementation of Our Equal State: Victoria’s Gender Equality Strategy. While the amount of $1.8m was allocated to deliver women’s leadership and mentorship programs, including for migrant and refugee women, there are many initiatives within the strategy that require targeted and sustainable funding.
We look forward to continuing to work with the Victorian Government to deliver in these areas to ensure that gender equality, primary prevention and early intervention gendered violence programs are tailored for multicultural communities. Together we can continue their strength-based approach to multiculturalism which encourages all people who call Victoria home to actively contribute, to belong, to exercise their equal rights, and to access the health services they need.
Support for struggling families welcome
Statement by migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia
AMES Australia has welcomed measures announced by in the Victorian state budget to take pressure of struggling families, including many refugee and migrant families.
The budget includes a $400 payment for Victorian public school students as part of a $287m package that will see parents free to choose how they spend the payment on education-related expenses like uniforms, school camps and excursions.
An $11 billion injection into the state’s healthcare system will also support the health care of many migrant and refugee families.
The tripling of a program offering free eye tests and glasses for public school students will also have impact with the Glasses for Kids program supporting an extra 74,000 prep to grade 3 students.
AMES Australia CEO Cath Scarth welcomed measures, saying many migrant and refugee families would benefit from the measures.
“At time when we are seeing a cost-of-living crisis, measures that support the most vulnerable families are welcome,” Ms Scarth said.
“Migrant and refugee families will be among the people who will be finding some relief in these measures,” she said.
Medical researchers disappointed
Statement by Victorian chapter of Australian Medical Research Institutes
Key points:
- Funding will cease for the Victorian Near-miss Awards
- Medical research funding will be $57.3m in 2024/25 (compared to $108m in 2022/23)
- The gap between research grants and its full cost continues to grow, weakening Victoria’s competitiveness nationally and on the world stage.
The Victorian Chapter of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI VIC) is disappointed the Victorian Government has reduced funding for medical research in the 2024/25 Budget, despite Victorian scientists leading the world in their research understanding disease and developing new treatments.
Crucial support for early career researchers will cease, with no funding to continue for the Victorian Near-miss Awards. Ahead of the State Budget, the sector had requested $960,000 a year to underpin the fellowships, which help address gender equity and diversity in the health and medical research workforce by supporting researchers who narrowly miss out on research grant funding to continue their work for a further 12 months.
AAMRI VIC Chair, Professor Ricky Johnstone, said, “The Government has missed an opportunity to back more women in our sector, improve workforce diversity, and to give our researchers the tools they need to make new discoveries and bring life-saving and life-changing treatments to the people who need them.”
AAMRI VIC expressed continued frustration at the growing gap between Commonwealth research grant funding and the full cost of conducting research. Calls for Victoria to increase its support in line with other states have gone unanswered in this year’s Budget and some institutes – such as youth mental health organisation Orygen and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre – will continue to miss out on support through the Operational Infrastructure Support Program entirely.
“Victoria’s medical research institutes came together to call for a $20 million annual boost to ensure our researchers can compete for research grants with those in other states and around the world. With some Victorian institutes missing out on support entirely and a lack of CPI adjustment, we are going backwards,” said Professor Johnstone.
In a concerning trend, the number of projects supported by Breakthrough Victoria, mRNA Victoria, and through industry growth initiatives is expected to decline compared to previous years.
Funding of $4.5 million to the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) has been welcomed by AAMRI VIC which will support culturally sensitive medical research practice and align with the principles of self-determination. This continues collaborative work to implement marra ngarrgoo, marra goorri: The Victorian Aboriginal Health, Medical and Wellbeing Research Accord.
However, the budget has not prioritised medical research. “We are disappointed in the lack of support for medical research in today’s budget. This is a sector that generates globally recognised research that saves lives and produces significant return on investment for the state,” said Professor Johnstone.
Missed opportunities
Statement by Environment Victoria
The Victorian budget has some good measures to keep our renewables rollout on track but it’s a missed opportunity to ensure no-one is left behind as we transition off fossil fuels. And, while a new focus on our rivers and waterways is welcome, there are still worrying gaps on tackling Victoria’s extinction crisis, said Environment Victoria CEO Jono La Nauze.
“New investment in VicGrid’s community engagement for transmission planning is welcome and we look forward to better outcomes for communities in renewable energy zones. We’re pleased to see new funding for spatial risk mapping to protect biodiversity and ensure renewable generation and transmission is built in the best places for communities and nature.
“We welcome the government’s renewed commitment to the Victorian Energy Upgrades program. The announced strategic review should overhaul the program so that it is fit for the future and makes it easy for all Victorian homes and businesses to participate, switch to efficient electric appliances and save on bills.
“While it’s great to see the government continuing to deliver on its climate targets and renewable energy, opportunities to support households and communities are being missed along the way. The SEC and the Latrobe Valley Authority were supposed to help communities adjust to the challenges of the energy transition but both organisations are neglected in this budget.
“We’re still waiting for the SEC to do what the government said it would — to start reinvesting in people and support households to electrify through new pilot programs.
“It’s very disappointing the Latrobe Valley Authority has not received funding to support the community and workers through the transition. While there is funding for regional development and jobs for this year, the community deserves certainty and ongoing funding.
“And while we welcome funding for emergency services and disaster recovery, the government is not investing in community-scale climate adaptation and resilience – so that when disaster does strike the road to recovery is smoother.
“Melbourne faces a future water crisis as a growing population meets lower rainfall due to climate change.
“This budget includes significantly more funding for waterways than in recent years, which is a positive sign the government is taking future water security and the decline of river and wetland ecosystems more seriously.
“We support programs for waterway health and catchment restoration but have concerns if any funding is going towards dubious infrastructure projects on the Murray floodplain, which are being used as an ‘offset’ to justify not returning water to other parts of the river system that need it consistently.
“We hope this budget signals Victoria will prioritise water and play a more constructive role in interstate agreements like the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
“Victoria faces a major extinction crisis. Up to one third of the plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals that live on Victorian land are at risk of extinction and yet the government has repeatedly failed to fund their protection and recovery.
“This budget repeats the pattern, and while there’s funding for forests now that state logging has ended, the lack of resources for biodiversity protection still leaves thousands of animals and plants headed for extinction.”
Also see: ABC’s Daniel Ziffer: In its 2024 budget, the Victorian government forgets debt, dreams big and crosses its fingers
The Guardian: Jacinta Allan might have offered a bold vision for Victoria. This is what Labor’s budget delivered instead
See Croakey’s coverage of justice and health matters
