By Mikayla Van Loon, Taylah Eastwell and Jed Lanyon
The Victorian government released the latest budget on Thursday 20 May which came as a Covid-19 recovery budget and placed an emphasis on healthcare, mental health, education, job creation and training.
Another big area of focus for the State government was strengthening the justice system, providing more support for victims, especially family violence victims and preventing Aboriginal deaths in custody.
In doing so, a new family violence centre will be established in Ringwood as part of the $78 million package for specialist family violence courts.
This is part of an effort to allow Victorians who experience family violence access to “tailored services” with specially trained court staff and in a safe environment.
Ambulance Victoria and paramedics were also high on the priority list to provide better support to patients.
$759 million in funding will go towards employing more paramedics, as well as more triage care and support staff for Ambulance Victoria to reduce the pressure in emergency departments.
$842 million in funding will deliver 3000 jobs, training and placements in the mental health sector.
The local government area of Maroondah will also share in $47 million aimed at helping those sleeping rough get into secure housing, which may help ease increasing homelessness in the Lilydale area.
Yarra Ranges Council Mayor Fiona McAllister was pleased to see mental health as a priority in the state’s budget.
“Mental health continues to be a pressing issue for the Yarra Ranges Community, particularly in the aftermath of the pandemic,“ she said. “We’re extremely pleased that the State Government has allocated a significant amount of funding into mental health in their 2021-22 Budget.
“We also know that congestion is also a major issue, now that people are returning to working in-person and more people are choosing to drive as they adjust back to public transport. The State Government’s Urban Congestion Package will help to upgrade roads to better accommodate future traffic needs on Canterbury Road, one of our main arterials.
“We’d like to thank the State Government for their support in this year’s budget, and we look forward to working with them over the coming year on these issues and others impacting our community.”
Health
The budget will provide for a new emergency department and pediatric zone at Maroondah Hospital, which is believed to provide for 300 new local jobs. The $99.7 million investment will be shared with five hospitals across the state. $5.7 million will fund planning and business cases for the new adult emergency department at the Ringwood East hospital.
The Angliss Hospital in Ferntree Gully will receive a further $98.9 million for expansion – including a new inpatient unit.
Mental health received a lot of budget attention as funding will continue for the Live 4 Life and Be Well in the Ranges programs. These are bespoke regional mental health programs that work closely with young people and those affected by bushfires.
Infrastructure
Gembrook will soon be home to an all-new school after $491.57 million was announced towards construction.
The school, temporarily known as Officer Rix Road Primary School, is expected to open in 2023.
In Mount Evelyn, upgrades to road safety along York Road between Swansea and Monbulk Roads will also take place in an attempt to ensure roads meet ongoing traffic needs as the electorate of Evelyn continues to grow.
The budget also allocates $74.3 million towards improving bus services across the state, including Lilydale, Yarra Glen and Healesville to increase services on routes.
Mooroolbark’s Manchester Primary School will also receive upgrades to classrooms and school buildings.
The Big Build project has received more funding to improve Victorian roads and railway lines, helping ease congestion across the state.
Unfortunately, the much needed duplication of the Lilydale line hasn’t been mentioned as a funded project.
Environment
$44 million has been allocated towards protecting Victorian waterways and ensuring they are both preserved and enjoyed by communities. However, no mention was made of the Yarra River.
The budget announcement also revealed the largest funding package to date for Forest, Fire and Regions, with over $517 million going towards reducing bushfire risk. $15.6 million was also allocated towards removing long grass and flammable undergrowth.
The state has also placed a focus on indigenous cultural burning as a means of bushfire prevention, putting $22.5 million towards the initiative.
Producers of the Yarra Valley will benefit from $6.4 million invested in a Victorian Fruit Fly Strategy set to be released next month in a bid to combat the ongoing Queensland Fruit Fly outbreak.
