When the Andrews Labor Government was elected, we promised to put people first. As our state begins its recovery from the global pandemic, people will continue to be our priority.

The Victorian Budget 2020/21 delivers on the investments that will see our community recover – and come back even stronger.  

As kids get back into the classroom, this Budget delivers the single biggest investment ever in our schools – making sure students have the classrooms, libraries and learning spaces they deserve.  That includes Thornbury High School, which is set to receive $14.9 million to build a brand-new STEAM centre, encouraging excellence for every student, in science, tech, engineering, arts and maths.

Bell Primary School will also receive $7.17 million to deliver the next stage of the school’s master plan, including a new school hall – providing more room for students and families at special assemblies.

An additional $18.93 million for Preston High School will deliver new performing arts, music and library spaces – and a new four level building with creative arts, design technology, and classrooms.

As we recover, we want our state to come back stronger than ever, delivering the biggest investment in inclusive education in our state's history. That includes a $7.99 million upgrade for Croxton School, supporting students to be their best.

The Government's investment will also support local jobs, with our school infrastructure build to create more than 6,400 jobs across the state.

A further $1.6 billion will transform support for students with disability, doubling the number of students receiving extra support to 55,000, and creating up to 1,730 jobs across the state by 2025.

We’re also delivering the biggest investment in public and community housing in Australia, ever. This investment will build more than 12,000 new homes – making sure thousands of Victorians have a place to call home, and thousands more Victorians have a job. The City of Darebin is a priority area for investment, with procurement starting straight away to build new homes.

This year we’ve come to appreciate our local parks and playgrounds more than ever. As Victorians spend more time outdoors with the people they love, this Budget invests in our community spaces, including Yarra Bend Park and Corben Oval.

To help get more Victorians back into work, the Labor Government is setting itself an ambitious target – creating 400,000 new jobs by 2025, half of them by 2022.

Our new Jobs for Victoria initiative will help locals find a new job – and with it, security, stability and certainty. This includes $250 million to partner with employers to cover the wages of at least 10,000 new workers.

These positions will be for Victorians hardest hit by this pandemic, including women, young people, retrenched workers and people who have been long-term unemployed.

And because we know too many Victorians are having to choose between going to work sick and losing wages, the Labor Government will invest $5 million to develop a new Secure Work Pilot Scheme. Once in place, the two-year pilot will provide up to five days of sick and carer’s pay at the national minimum wage for casual or insecure workers in priority industries.

This year’s Budget will help nearly one million families save hundreds on their power bill. Concession card holders, such as Victorians receiving JobSeeker payments, will be eligible for a one-off $250 payment to help cover the cost of their energy bills.

An extra 250,000 low-income households will benefit from new more efficient heating and cooling, while heating, cooling or hot water systems will be upgraded across an extra 35,000 social housing homes – reducing bills for tenants and making winter and summer more comfortable.

The Labor Government’s Solar Homes will also be expanded to an extra 42,000 rooftop solar rebates plus 14,500 solar batteries, cutting power bills for local families. And for the very first time, small businesses will also be eligible.

Even with kids back at school, the balancing act that many families know all too well isn’t easy. That’s why this Budget will make kinder free in 2021 and deliver outside school hours care at up to 400 extra schools, saving parents money and giving them greater flexibility when it comes to work and care.

2020 has also reminded us of what matters most in life – the health and wellbeing of the people we love. As we begin our state’s recovery, that will continue to be our focus.

That includes nearly $870 million for mental health, including to implement the Royal Commission into Mental Health’s interim report findings and recommendations and deliver care for local families.

We’re also investing more than $1 billion for children and families at risk, including targeted support to help families stay together. A further $235 million will build our Recovery Workforce, creating 500 new jobs across mental health, family violence, health and child protection with hundreds more new training opportunities, so Victorians have the support they need as we recover from this pandemic.

We also want to make sure we continue to give patients flexibility in their care, allowing them to choose what is best for them and their families.

This Budget will invest $121 million for ‘Better at Home’, increasing the delivery of hospital services in patients’ homes – ensuring these Victorians can recuperate in the comfort of their own home. We’ll also expand virtual care technology, making it easier for busy families to access support.

This is a Budget to repair, recover and make us stronger than before. This is a Budget, and a Government, that puts people first.

Quotes attributable to Member for Northcote Kat Theophanous

“Labor is getting our economy back on track and building a stronger and fairer state for Victorians.”

“It’s the most significant budget our state has seen. But it’s not just about recovery - it’s about making our recovery meaningful.”

“We are delivering the jobs our recovery relies on and reforms in social housing, mental health, secure work, energy efficiency, education, employment and transport that will transform our state and bring more opportunities to our local community here in Northcote.”

“I won’t stop working to make sure Northcote residents have certainty and security, and that our suburbs recover and thrive into the future.”