I rise to take note of the 2024–25 budget papers. This year’s budget was titled ‘Helping Families’, and it certainly does that. This budget focuses on the right priorities – easing the cost of living and investing in our future – and builds on a fairer and stronger Victoria. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic we knew that Victoria’s economy would need support and time to recover from what was a one-in-100-year-event. Our government took the necessary measures to keep our economy moving and our state growing. This meant that we needed to spend additional money to stimulate and support small businesses and Victorians. Now, with international pressures, we are fully aware of the rising cost of living, and this budget takes sensible and proactive measures to help Victorians.
Victoria is proudly the economic powerhouse and centre of Australia’s economy. Gross state product per capita is higher than pre-COVID levels, and we are the fastest growing state in the country, equating to the strongest rebound since the pandemic. Momentum is growing, with record jobs growth and 600,000 new jobs created since the depths of the pandemic. Let me repeat that: that is 600,000 new jobs created for Victorians who have the dignity of work and a pay cheque to come home with.
This budget invests in working families in the Glen Waverley district, funding initiatives in multiple sectors to improve service delivery and ease the cost of living. I am proud that we continue to invest in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, a place of diversity and potential. As part of a total package of $28.78 million, this budget supports the continuation of the Eastern Community Legal Centre’s MABELS program. This program provides early intervention for women experiencing family violence through a health–justice partnership with maternal and child health services. A continuing pattern of behaviour needs to be met with determined action. On average police attend a family violence incident every 6 minutes in Victoria. Family violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women and children. One woman is killed nearly every week in Australia due to family violence, and an estimated 22 per cent of Australian women aged 18 and above have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15.
The impacts of family violence are multifaceted, whether they be physical, emotional, psychological or financial. Many are victimised multiple times, and they unfortunately do not recover quickly from their traumatic experiences. I know too well that family and domestic violence is often a case of life and death. I recall going to the police station with my friend to support her in filing for an AVO against her abuser. Heartbreakingly, this was not enough. We lost my dear friend Wendy Chow at the hands of a pathetic coward. Although Wendy is no longer here with us today, her memory lives on, and our efforts to combat these disgraceful acts of violence continue.
The vast majority of violence is committed by men. The way in which men conduct themselves in both private and public situations must be better, and this government is taking nation-leading and actually world-leading action. We have appointed the member for Mordialloc as the first ever Parliamentary Secretary for Men’s Behaviour Change. Whether it be examining the role of social media or researching cultural factors, I am proud to be part of the Allan Labor government, which is taking proactive action, and I thank the Minister for Prevention of Family Violence at the table for all her work in this space.
Responding to family violence also requires a significant health response, and this budget continues to build on an extensive record of investment in Victoria’s health system. In an overall budget package of $572.5 million, significant funding has been allocated to expand the hospital capacity at Monash Health Clayton’s emergency department. With major works to start next year, there will be a seven-floor expansion of the Monash Medical Centre, delivering a new intensive care unit, birthing suites and operating rooms. Projected to be completed in 2029, this will provide a capacity of up to 7500 more surgeries and 2400 more births annually – and a shout-out to my daughter, who was born at that hospital. She has just gone home sick, unfortunately, today. These improvements will directly benefit the residents of the Glen Waverley district as they will have access to world-class medical facilities close to home, and I know my constituents will be extremely grateful for that.
Since coming into government in 2014 this government has continued to provide record funding in our health sector as the cost of running the system has continued to increase. Victoria’s public hospitals since we came to government now employ 5000 additional doctors and 13,000 additional nurses. Elucidating an appropriate and extensive understanding of the pressures hospitals face, we are providing more than $5 million in an overall budget package to provide inpatient bed-based treatment and care for patients with eating disorders. Monash Health has excellent facilities and provides the necessary services for people with eating disorders, and this funding continues to provide the certainty and security that both the patients and the hospitals deserve. Investing in the healthcare infrastructure our state needs creates jobs, saves lives, cuts waiting lists and takes pressure off our hospitals. Only the Allan Labor government will deliver the hospitals and health care that Victorians need.
The single greatest investment a government can make is in education. We know that for every school built, $2 for every $1 invested in education is returned, but money cannot quantify the life-changing impacts of supporting our young people. In seeking to provide greater pathways for young people to engage in and pursue their passions, we are investing $23 million to support students in completing their vocational education and training certificate. This includes $2.7 million for the Education First Youth Foyer down at Holmesglen TAFE in my electorate. In a purpose-built accommodation facility, this program helps young people who have experienced homelessness with specialist support from youth workers and teachers to support them in their education. It is an excellent program, growing students’ both academic and practical skills, and it is delivered in partnership with Launch Housing and the Brotherhood of St Laurence. I sincerely commend the work that they do at the foyer, and I trust that continuing investment by our government is helping some of the most vulnerable in our community.
Additionally, our free kinder program has saved 140,000 families up to $2500 in fees. We have also initiated the Glasses for Kids program, which will help 110,000 kids to receive free vision screening and prescription glasses. An extra $19 million from this budget will help kinders renovate and upgrade early learning facilities as part of the Building Blocks grants program. We are expanding classrooms and native gardens as well as upgrading existing technology and outdoor play spaces. Both of these amazing projects have received additional funding in this year’s budget and this in conjunction with the new school saving bonus will make a real difference to families. The school saving bonus is a one-off payment to families with children at government schools and families with children at non-government schools who need it most. As a parent with a young daughter, I know the costs of sending a child to school certainly do add up. From uniforms to camps, excursions, incursions, supplies and extracurricular activities, the school saving bonus will assist with the cost of living and go a long way to ensuring that kids do not miss out.
On top of these extensive support programs, in this budget there is $6 million to extend the Get Active Kids voucher program, which provides up to $200 to help eligible families with the costs of sporting club registrations, uniforms and equipment. Many children are at their best on the footy field, on the netball court or on the cricket pitch. Sport provides an opportunity for kids to be the best versions of themselves, showcasing their leadership, teamwork and resilience. It also brings the community together, fostering long-lasting friendships, and that is why am proud to note that the 2024–25 budget funds two magnificent community sport projects in my electorate. Firstly, $500,000 of funding has been announced for the delivery of a new pavilion at Brandon Park Reserve in Glen Waverley. Home to the Mazenod Football Club and the Mulgrave Wheelers Hill Cricket Club, this reserve is frequented by many all year round. With a soccer pitch and cricket oval, this widely used facility will greatly benefit from the rebuilding of the existing pavilion, which I must say is in a little bit of disrepair and is not functional for women’s sport at the moment.
In further positive news for our community the Allan Labor government is investing $300,000 to resurface the Central Reserve south oval in Glen Waverley. We are just going to have to wait till the member for Ashwood’s Waverley Blues finish up their season this year, and then their Mount Waverley Reserve will be upgraded. A resurfaced ground will mean better irrigation and drainage, leading to better playing conditions. With a brand new surface the chance of injuries will decrease and the standard of play will increase.
I know the Mazenod Old Collegians Football Club and the Mazenod Panthers all-abilities football club, who both play their footy there, are very excited that their home ground is receiving an upgrade. The old collegians have an excellent football program in place, with boys and girls teams for the juniors and men’s and women’s for the seniors, and the Panthers do an incredible job in providing an opportunity for people with an intellectual disability to compete and to participate in sport. The Panthers are great. I really do think that these upgrades are a symbol of the values that this government holds – bringing people together, not dividing, investing in the future and supporting inclusion for everyone, no matter their background or ability.
How could I not mention the government’s record on the infrastructure agenda? The Metro Tunnel will transform the way Melbourne’s transit system operates. Opening next year, Victorians will see the benefits of eased congestion on the city loop and more frequent services. It is only because of the Labor government that this is being built ahead of schedule, and the 2024–25 budget invests more than $233 million to continue the works and upgrades as well as recruit and upskill train drivers.
I am also delighted to mention another infrastructure project. I must give a warning; it might get some people a little upset over there. Of course I am talking about the SRL, and as a proud Labor government member representing the eastern suburbs of Melbourne it is not lost on me how the people of Victoria have voted in favour of the Suburban Rail Loop.
I will get to that. As the name suggests, this project forms a loop around Melbourne’s metropolitan region. Connecting different train lines, it will lead to an easing of congestion and faster travel times and it will take cars off our roads. This project is more than just upgrading our train lines. It contributes to moving Victoria to a greener and more energy-efficient state. The SRL will also drive economic growth and create hubs in our middle rings, which will reshape our city. Areas around the new stations, such as Glen Waverley, will be areas with options for education, food, leisure and services, and having many of these areas connected to each other will help improve Melbourne significantly.
It will also host diverse housing options. I do want to commend the work that has been done and will continue to be done in planning reform to allow for medium and higher density housing to be built. For far too long the development and supply of housing has been blocked. Progress in dealing with housing affordability has met with the barriers of not only the Liberal Party but also the Greens political party. They choose to spin false narratives and play political games, while their council counterparts continue to block new houses being built in their local government areas. For all of the talk of nimbyism, it would be best if the Greens had a good look at their own backyard.
But this government is pushing on, through actions and not in words. We will implement the changes that are required for our state to become a more accessible place for all. Not once but twice the SRL has been taken to an election and voters in the east have overwhelmingly endorsed it – and in saying so I give a special shout-out to the eastern bloc as well as Mr Leane and Ms Terpstra in the other place. As the representatives of Melbourne’s east we all look forward to the SRL being delivered. While the Liberal Party can yet again seek to cut the SRL, we on this side will stand staunchly opposed to cutting infrastructure investment, cutting the 6000 jobs and cutting an opportunity to modernise our public transport system. It is the same old Liberal trope of cutting investment, cutting jobs and cutting projects.
I do also note in this context that this government is making nation-leading investments into infrastructure. Many remember with disgust the actions of the former Liberal federal government. That government refused to acknowledge that Victoria even existed. They did not remember we existed when they robbed us of our fair share of the GST allocation or our fair share of infrastructure spending. The only time they managed to find Victoria on the map was when undermining our public health response throughout the pandemic, attacking the thousands of frontline workers. To fill the void of a hopeless Liberal government, this state has stepped in – and beyond. We are continuing to progress with important projects, such as removing 110 level crossings by 2030, and it is great news that only the other day our 84th dangerous and congested level crossing was removed.
I will conclude by noting the record jobs and economic growth we have here in Victoria. This is a budget that reflects the priorities of our government in helping families with the cost of living. I know my constituents will welcome the investment made in the Glen Waverley district and beyond, and I am proud to take note of the responsible 2024–25 Victorian state budget.
