The Allan Labor Government is making life easier, safer and more affordable for families in Northern Melbourne.
Cost of living pressures are being felt by everyone in Northern Metropolitan. That's why this Budget is slashing the cost of commuting. We're delivering free public transport until the end of May, then half-price fares from June 1 until the end of the year. This will save the average daily commuter in Northern Metropolitan more than $1,300.
Donald Trump's war in the Middle East is driving up fuel prices, putting local households under pressure. That's why we're delivering 20% off rego. With 20% off rego, a driver with one car will receive up to $186, and a family with two cars will receive up to $372. It's one-off cost-of-living help for families right now, while still delivering a surplus.
Victoria has one of the best school systems in the world, with NAPLAN results that lead the nation. But the rising cost of living is putting pressure on household budgets. From free School Breakfast Clubs, to more affordable uniforms, this Budget invests $59.4 million to help families with school-age kids. This includes expanding the Glasses for Kids program to more schools - delivering free eye tests and free glasses to kids who need them.
From Free Kinder to Free TAFE - and everything in between - the Allan Labor Government invests in education. We're transforming early childhood education and delivering Free Kinder - saving families up to $2,700 per child every year. This Budget also invests nearly half a billion dollars to build and upgrade kinders and government-run childcare centres.
This Budget delivers upgrades to 59 more schools across the state. This includes Spensley St Primary School, which is receiving $1 million for upgrades to their school facilities and $6.2 million for Merri-bek Primary School to deliver a new covered outdoor learning area and upgrades to the school's oval – because Labor is making sure kids get the education they deserve in world class facilities
As areas grow, investment in new schools and campuses is needed to meet demand. This Budget also invests a total of $419.6 million for new school construction, including a new Arden Secondary School and $104 million for land for new schools and campuses, including a new campus at the growing Docklands Primary School.
The Allan Labor Government always invests in our health system. Since 2014, we've delivered 11 new hospitals and hired 41,900 nurses, midwives, doctors and healthcare workers. This Budget invests to hire 250 extra graduate nurses and delivers fast-tracked surgery and specialist appointments for kids.
Evidence shows the Allan Labor Government's fixed site pill testing service is reducing drug harm and saving lives. This Budget invests $9.2 million to continue this life-saving service, keeping Victorians safe.
When critical illness or injury strikes, the emergency department is exactly where you need to be. But some conditions don't need to be treated in hospital. Urgent Care Clinics deliver healthcare that's urgent, but not life-threatening. They're open late and on weekends, when it can be hard to get an appointment with a GP. And they're completely free. Victoria was the first to introduce this model that has now been adopted by the Commonwealth and rolled out Australia-wide. With this Budget, we're investing $20.9 million to continue running nine Urgent Care Clinics - including funding for Richmond Urgent Care Clinic and the Royal Children's Hospital Urgent Care Clinic.
Victoria has more police than any other state. With this Budget, we're boosting police resources by recruiting 200 police reservists for desk jobs. This $62 million investment will free up frontline officers, making sure they're out where they’re needed most and keeping communities in the Northern Metropolitan safe. We’re also investing $33.5 million in the Violence Reduction Unit, to stop crime before it starts.
We're also investing to make sure the courts operate efficiently, so that cases can be heard and dealt with quickly. We're continuing to deliver financial and legal support for victims of crime, and we're investing $9 million to support Legal Aid, including its family advocacy and support service that helps families in Northern Metropolitan.
Public transport has never been more important to families in Melbourne. When the cost of living is high, families don't just feel financial strain. They're short on time. That's why the Allan Labor Government is always looking for new solutions to make life easier for busy Victorians. We've helped to make PT more affordable, with free travel for kids, and for seniors and carers on weekends.
We're also delivering $2.5 million to make stations across the network safer and easier to access, including by installing tactile ground marker indicators at Clifton Hill station.
As our suburbs grow, Victoria's bus network makes it easier for locals in Melbourne and Brunswick to get around. This Budget invests almost $100 million to deliver more buses where they're needed most – including more weekday peak and weekend frequencies on Route 408 and having the Route 526 operate on average every 20-minutes, 7-days a week. We're also providing an uplift to Route 236, expanding weekday and Saturday operating hours with brand new Sunday services.
Community sporting clubs bring Richmond and Melbourne locals together. Through our Get Active Kids voucher program, we're making sure the cost of fees and equipment doesn't keep kids from playing the sport they love. And we're also investing to make local clubs even stronger. This Budget invests $100,000 to deliver turf wicket upgrades at JA Loughnan Oval, making local facilities even better. We're also investing $500,000 to deliver a lighting upgrade at Avenger Park, home of Avondale FC, and $50,000 to deliver planning for indoor courts in the City of Melbourne, making local facilities even better.
Having somewhere safe and secure to rest your head at night is a basic human right. This Budget continues to invest to help people break the cycle of homelessness, including a $17.5 million package for nine new outreach teams that are supporting rough sleepers and helping connect them to support across the inner city. This Budget continues the whole of government place-based responses in the North Richmond public housing estate. This is about improving safety and making sure everyone has access to the services they need.
Labor is investing in Northern Metropolitan - do the Liberals support our investments, or will they cut them?
Quote attributable to Sheena Watt MP, Member for Northern Metropolitan
"Only Labor is delivering for the inner north-with world-class health care, better public transport and more services for those in our communities who need it most."
