2022-23 Victorian Budget Highlights

The newly released Victorian Government budget reveals a vast investment in health and education.

According to the State Budget, debt and deficit are better than expected, with debt $7.8 million less than was forecast.

Here are some of the highlights from the budget:

$10 million for a Business Acceleration Fund to cut red tape
$12 million boost for the Apprenticeship Support Officers program
$10 million over two years for the Skills Solutions Partnerships to pilot new training approaches to help address skills shortages
$10 million for the Business Acceleration Fund to streamline applications and approvals, improve information flow and provide faster licensing at a local and state level
$5 million for the Specialist Advice Pathways Program which gives subsidised advice to small business for accounting, book-keeping, tax and legal advice
$193 million for regional development and agriculture including $30 million for the Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund and $2.9 million to support agribusiness across Victoria to reach new markets, including global markets and a new Victoria Grown initiative
$99.8 million to help Services Victoria improve its online interface for business to reduce paperwork, make it easier to get licences and permits and receive government payments
$1.3 million for the Empower Youth Program to connect socioeconomically disadvantaged youth with work or education.

$300 million boost to the Regional Health Infrastructure Fund
Over $500 million to deliver the Barwon Women’s and Children’s Hospital
Regional and rural local public health units across the state will share in a state-wide investment of $40 million
$2.9 billion allocated to build new hospitals and upgrade existing ones
$333 million to hire almost 300 triple-zero call-takers
$124 million for more paramedics
$372 million investment in mental health workforce initiatives
$490 million for addition acute and hospital based mental health care
$698 million for healthcare in the home
$1.1 billion for rapid antigen tests
$284 million for personal protective equipment.

$1.6 billion to build new and improve existing schools
$326 million for upgrades of 36 special schools
$779 million investment for teachers to get a 90-minute cut to face-to-face teaching hours per week for more preparation time.

$338 million for more train services, level crossing removals and Big Build initiatives
$250 million for 12 more V/Line trains on the Shepparton and Warrnambool lines
$993 million for road upgrades.