A Closer Look
Winners: School-aged children in Victoria will receive a $400 one-off payment through the School Saving Bonus. This can be used for uniforms, camps, excursions, and sporting events. Concession card holders at non-government schools are also eligible.
Pre-prep programs and new childcare centers have been delayed due to workforce shortages.
Winners: The Austin Hospital's emergency department will be upgraded, and the Northern Hospital will receive a new emergency department and additional beds. The Monash Medical Centre will expand, increasing its maternity care capabilities and adding more operating suites and intensive care beds.
Plans to build three community hospitals in Emerald Hill, Eltham, and Torquay are being reviewed and are likely to be scrapped. Community health services have not received an increase in funding despite population growth and cost-of-living pressures. Thirty-five mental health and wellbeing clinics are being delayed.
Winners: Victorians will receive assistance with installing electric heat pumps and solar hot water systems. The interest-free loan program for solar battery storage systems will be extended.
None specifically mentioned.
Winners: Young Victorians will receive a one-off $700 million supplement to the Victorian Homebuyer Fund, which assists with purchasing a home.
The Property Council of Australia expressed concern about the lack of action to alleviate the fiscal burden on the housing industry.
Winners: The government is investing in eyesight tests for kids through the Glasses for Kids program.
Casual workers will no longer receive paid sick leave after the government's COVID-era plan ends. The Melbourne Airport Rail Link and Upfield Train line level crossing removal projects have been delayed.
This budget offers some relief for families with school-aged children and invests in healthcare infrastructure. However, there are cuts and delays to other projects, and some groups, such as community health services and casual workers, are not receiving the support they need.